When the cooler temperatures arrive here in Canada, one of the first things I think of is soup season! Having multiple farms around us that sell pumpkins and squash at great prices, means making a batch of butternut squash soup is affordable and a great way to make a big batch and have extra for your freezer. I also enjoy using some of the sage we grew in the garden over the summer, as it always seems to be the easiest herb for me to grow. I have 4 separate bushes that are abundant and I love using freshly chopped sage for this recipe and even on top as a garnish.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to one of our local farms in order to get some small pumpkins for our kids school, as they needed them for crafts. While there we had a look around at all of the fun Halloween cut out picture displays and all of the beautiful pumpkins and squash for sale. It’s really crazy the difference in quality and pricing getting it from a local farm that’s 10 minutes up the road compared to our local grocery store.
This is a recipe that has been tinkered with a bit over time depending on our preference for thin or creamy soup. The great thing about it is that it is versatile while still having that classic butternut squash flavour. And is super comforting on those cool fall days.
Our kids are not fans of this soup, but I still enjoy making it for Nick and I and letting the kids have leftovers or something simple that they can reheat themselves. I realize not everything will be a hit with the kids and while we always encourage them to have a “polite bite” to try the food, I’m not offended if they decide to not have a full bowl or plate of it.
As with lots of soup in the instant pot, this recipe involves a bit of sautéing in the beginning and then the addition of other ingredients before a relatively quick cook time. We enjoy having a nice warmed up baguette with butter to dip into this soup and a salad on the side.
Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot 6 or 8 quart
- 1 Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow onion large, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Medium, chopped
- 1 Butternut Squash Medium to Large, Peeled and cubed
- 1 Apple Peeled, cored and chopped
- 2 Carrots Peeled, chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Sage chopped
- 2 tsp Fresh Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Ginger minced
- 1/4 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon ground
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 Cups Chicken stock
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Instructions
- Turn on your instant pot to the saute function. Add the oil, onions, pepper and carrot and saute on high for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add your garlic, ginger, squash and apple and cook for 1 minute
- Add chicken stock, salt, chilli powder, cinnamon and sage.
- Place the lid with sealing ring on your instant pot and move the knob into sealing position.
- Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the time is up, let the pot do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then vent the knob to release remaining pressure.
- Using your immersion blender, blend soup until it is a smooth consistency. If you prefer a creamier soup, add 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese and blend again until incorporated.
- Serve with warm baguette and your favourite salad
