My easy Instant Pot butternut squash soup recipe is fuss free, fat free and full of flavour! So easy to make in the electric pressure cooker, this deliciously spiced butternut and orange soup is hard to resist.
Easy Instant Pot butternut squash soup
This glorious, fragrant, spiced soup is a lovely way to make the most of a seasonal harvest of butternut squash. I have paired it with orange and spices for a sweet, complex and delicious flavour.
See also
- Pressure cooker pumpkin soup with a hint of apple is perfect for chilly autumn days
- Throw it all in and make this fabulous pressure cooker tomato soup
- Pressure cooker carrot and lentil soup is souper easy to make with this dump and start recipe
This dump and start Instant Pot butternut and orange soup is light, fresh and delicious, and so incredibly easy to make. The touch of citrus and spice balances the sweetness and makes a really tasty dish. Like any good vegetable soup, it’s filling and satisfying without being heavy, and makes a great lunch in cooler weather.
My easy pressure cooker butternut squash soup is nutritious, gluten free and great for vegetarians and vegans too. What’s more, it’s suitable for anyone on a medical fat-free diet.
Having said that, a touch of fat from some toasted seeds or a drizzle of oil will help you absorb the vitamins in the squash, so unless you absolutely have to go fat free, don’t feel guilty about jazzing up your garnish.
Why make dump and start spiced butternut squash soup
- Effortless and mostly hands-off recipe
- Nutritious and fat free
- Full of flavour
- Fabulously frugal
- Adaptable
Easy butternut and orange soup – ingredients
- Butternut squash – I find the smaller ones have more flavour. Peel, deseed and cut into chunks. For this recipe, they don’t need to be small or the same size. See our guide to preparing a squash.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip If you are feeling lazy, you can buy bags of frozen prepared pumpkin or squash in the store. Add to the pressure cooker frozen.
- Carrot – peeled and roughly chopped
- Onion – peeled and roughly chopped
- Garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
- Celery – one stick, roughly chopped
- An orange – or two, if they are small. Easy peelers are ideal as long as they have plenty of flavour.
- Spices – garam masala and curry powder, and pepper and salt to taste
- Stock/broth – 2 cups / 500 ml
- Lemon – juice of half a lemon to enhance the flavour
How to make easy spiced butternut squash soup – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this spiced butternut orange soup recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Halve and deseed the squash. Peel and roughly chop the carrot, squash and garlic. Chop and de-string the celery and peel the orange, separating it into segments and discarding the pith. Then put all the ingredients in your electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
Step Two – Check that the seal is in the lid correctly, and set the weight to pressure. Choose the soup programme, or cook on high for 7 minutes.
Step Three – Leave on the natural pressure release setting/keep warm for about five minutes. Then release the remaining pressure. Open and use a stick blender to blend the soup to a smooth consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. You can add a little extra stock if you want a thinner soup. Garnish as you like and serve hot.
Serving suggestion
This Instant Pot spiced butternut squash soup is delicious with a good homemade loaf. Why not try my easy root vegetable bread, a wholesome, flavour-packed muesli sourdough or a simple but tasty mixed grain loaf with rye?
I always like to dress my soup up with an interesting garnish, and for this Instant Pot butternut squash soup I have used a mixture of toasted seeds and some coriander leaf.
You could also try a swirl of your favourite oil, sour cream, or yogurt. Add texture with crunchy croutons or nacho chips.
Variations
- Stir through a can of cooked, rinsed beans to bulk up any vegetable soup, adding some extra protein.
- Change the seasoning, using your favourite spices. A little ginger would work well, or some red chilli if you like heat.
- Swap the butternut for other types of winter squash, if that’s what you have available. Alternatively, add a sweet potato or red pepper to the squash.
- Add cream or coconut cream for a richer, bisque-style soup.
Storage
Fridge – Allow your soup to cool. Then pour into containers and seal. This spiced butternut squash and orange soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Freezer – Once cold, pour your soup into containers, seal and freeze. It will keep for 6 months.
Reheating – Defrost soup in the fridge overnight, or on the kitchen counter for a few hours. Reheat your soup in a pan on the stove, or in the microwave. When using the microwave, I like to use a Pyrex-style jug for convenience.
Hints and tips
- This spiced butternut squash soup recipe is quick and incredibly easy! You don’t even need to worry too much about how you chop the vegetables. The Instant Pot will do all the work.
- Be aware of the minimum amount of liquid needed to bring your pressure cooker to pressure. You can increase this recipe, but not reduce it. I use a 5.5 litre (6 quart) Instant Pot. A larger pressure cooker may need more liquid.
FAQs
About a quarter of an hour. Most of that is hands-off time, so it really is unbelievably easy.
Yes. As long as you check that there are no nasties in your stock and spice mix, it is gluten free.
I have used vegetable stock but you can use chicken if you prefer. It is important to choose a good, stock with plenty of flavour as a base. I like stockpots but there are some good cubes around too.
Butternuts are a type of autumn or winter squash, harvested in autumn before the heavy frosts begin. They keep well and are increasingly available in supermarkets for most of the year.
More soup recipes
- Easy pressure cooker tomato soup – an easy “dump and start” recipe, satisfying and tastes so good
- Butternut squash soup with tahini and lemon – light, bright and absolutely delicious
- Spiced pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato soup – a robust, earthy soup that’s easy to make in the pressure cooker
- Explore all my soup recipes.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Orange and Spices
Ingredients
- 250 g butternut squash (deseeded, peeled and chopped)
- 1 large carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (peeled & roughly chopped)
- 1 stick celery (chopped)
- 1 orange (peeled and split into segments – use 2 if very small)
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp curry powder
- pepper & salt (to taste)
Optional / To garnish
- fresh coriander leaf
- mixed seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit and vegetables. Deseed, peel and chop the squash. Peel and chop the carrot, onion and garlic. Destring and chop celery. Peel the orange and divide into segments, discarding the pith.1 large carrot, 1 orange, 1 clove garlic, 1 stick celery, 250 g butternut squash, 1 onion
- Put all the ingredients in the pressure cooker.2 cups vegetable stock, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp curry powder
- Check that the seal is properly in the lid, and that the weight is set to pressure. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, or use your pressure cooker soup programme.
- Leave on natural pressure release setting/keep warm for five minutes. Then release the remaining pressure.Open the lid and blend the soup using a stick blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.pepper & salt
- Garnish to taste. Serve hot and enjoy!fresh coriander leaf, mixed seeds
Notes
Storage
Fridge – Allow your soup to cool. Then pour into containers and seal. This spiced butternut squash and orange soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave. Freezer – Once cold, pour your soup into containers, seal and freeze. It will keep for 6 months. Reheating – Defrost soup in the fridge overnight, or on the kitchen counter for a few hours. Reheat your soup in a pan on the stove, or in the microwave. When using the microwave, I like to use a Pyrex-style jug for convenience.Hints and tips
- This spiced butternut squash soup recipe is quick and incredibly easy! You don’t even need to worry too much about how you chop the vegetables. The Instant Pot will do all the work.
- Be aware of the minimum amount of liquid needed to bring your pressure cooker to pressure. You can increase this recipe, but not reduce it. I use a 5.5 litre (6 quart) Instant Pot. A larger pressure cooker may need more liquid.
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