Instant Pot Creamy Butternut Squash + Apple Soup {AIP, Vegan, Whole30}
It’s winter, and in the Midwest, this naturally means bitter cold one week, 60-70 degree sunny days the following week, and then the return of cold. Welcome to the unpredictable insanity that is winter. Fortunately, there is one thing we can count on, and that is hearty, warming, comforting soup. This Creamy Butternut Squash + Apple Soup is all those things.
We were thrilled to have the reprieve, and it makes us anticipate spring even more. But I can’t quite escape the thought that winter has yet to rear its ugly head. Like a surprise is lurking around the corner. Mother Nature has a way of doing that, she is a bit crazy.
You know what won’t throw an unpleasant wrench in your plans? The Instant Pot. If you haven’t already caved and purchased one, I am about to convince you.
Not only is this handy multi-functional device a fantastic kitchen sidekick, but it has so many uses. It truly replaces the need for multiple appliances. Which if you are anything like me, you are more than happy to pare down your appliance commitments and save precious cabinet/counter space.
You technically can say goodbye to your slow cooker and/or crock pot (don’t panic, it will be okay), your rice cooker, and even a large stock pot.
Now, let’s talk features. This popular model and the one we use at home includes 7 standard settings:
- Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Rice Cooker
- Saute
- Yogurt
- Steam/Warm
And each of these settings can be used for multiple items. For example, the slow cooker function works exactly like, you guessed it, a traditional slow cooker. The rice cooker can also be used to make oats and other grains (if you eat these of course), saute is great for browning meat or vegetables, and yogurt can be used to make Crème brûlée (we have yet to try this but you can bet it is on the list).
The best feature of the Instant Pot is quite obviously the Pressure Cooker function. Now, I had never used a pressure cooker in my life until purchasing this appliance. I was quite intimidated.
However, I can assure you that using the Pot couldn’t be easier. The settings are simple and straightforward, and the instruction manual walks you through the entire process.
The 10 built-in safety features ensure you will not implode your pot or start a fire. In other words, it is dummy proof. Because let’s be honest, I would have caused major damage if this thing wasn’t safe.
I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes (or often). And Garett may turn into a frantic cook on occasion (also often). And when we’re both in the kitchen at the same time, rushing to get a dish made? Watch out. Glasses, bowls, containers, you name it, are all at risk of sudden death.
That all being said, let’s get to the fun part. What can you cook in the Instant Pot? Truth be told, we have yet to use some of the features, since we have been hooked on mastering the main ones. We will follow-up in a later post with details about other creations we concocted. For now, we will focus on the most popular and versatile features.
Don’t miss these other great Paleo recipes.
INSTANT POT FAVORITE FUNCTIONS
PRESSURE COOKER
Use the pressure cooker function to make items such as:
- Soup (like this Butternut Squash and Apple Soup)
- Bone broth
- Beef or pork roast
- Whole chicken
SAUTE
Use the saute function for simple one pot preparations:
- Saute onions and aromatics (like you will in this soup recipe)
- Cook down vegetables
- Brown a roast before pressure or slow cooking
RICE COOKER
Use the rick cooker function to make the perfect rice, no seriously. We had a rice cooker previously and loved it for homemade sushi, as a base for a stir-fry, or as a side. But now, the Instant Pot takes the cake. Perfectly cooked rice every time, without fail. And with no effort. There you have it friends, an overview of our new favorite kitchen tool.
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Instant Pot Creamy Butternut Squash + Apple Soup {AIP, Whole30, Vegan}
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 tart-sweet Apple Pinky Lady or similar, cored and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice replace with cinnamon for AIP
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper leave out for AIP
- 2 cups vegetable stock or chicken bone broth
- 1/2 can full-fat coconut milk
- Toasted pumpkin seeds coconut cream and smoked paprika for topping (leave out for AIP)
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add coconut oil. Once the screen reads "hot" and oil is melted, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion begins to soften, 3-5 minutes.
- Add squash and potato, and stir to combine. Cook another couple of minutes until squash begins to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Press the cancel button on the screen, then add all other ingredients, with the exception of coconut milk. Stir to combine, then tighten the lid on the pot. Ensure vent valve is set to "sealing."
- Press the "Manual" button, and set the timer to 10 minutes on high pressure. Once completed cooking and the pot beeps, let pressure release naturally. If you're in a hurry you can release manually, but be careful. Remove lid once pressure has dissipated.
- Using an immersion blender, purée soup directly in the pot. Alternatively, transfer contents to a food processor or high powdered blender. Blend until smooth, then add coconut milk and additional seasonings to taste. Blend again to combine.
- Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, coconut cream, and a dash of smoked paprika if desired.
Looks really good. I may give it a try:-)
I never thought of using a pressure cooker for cooking soup! Such a great idea, Dawn! Looking forward to trying out this recipe!
In good health,
Berniedette | http://www.petiteandtoned.com
Thanks a million Berniedette! It works so well and makes for a quick simple dinner ? Cheers to healthy living!
Thank you! We hope you do and know you’ll love it ?
I’ve only recently discovered the whole pumpkin + apple combination and I can’t believe what I was missing out on! It’s delish! I’m definitely keen to give this recipe a try. 🙂
Christie’s Take on Life. xx
It really is a heavenly combo! Let us know what you think and thanks for stopping by ?
Your photos are beautiful, and this soup looks incredibly good! For me, March is the last big hurrah for soup season, so I must give this one a try. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Thanks very much Cait, we appreciate it! Totally agree with you on needing to get all the soup in before spring hits. Enjoy ?
I’ve never put apples in my soup before! I’m going to try this!
xoxo
http://befittingstyle.com/nyfw-fw17-recapvlog/
You’ll love it! Adds subtle sweetness without any sugar ?
This is great– I came here thinking.. “Do I need an Instant Pot?” and you answered that question! haha.. that soup looks like a gorgeous cure for the winter blahs, btw.
Well now I’ve done my job! You definitely need one and will love it ? Thanks so much Kelly!
I made this last night and its AMAZING!! I ended up using a whole can of Lite Coconut Milk because it was all I had at home. I had some Hot Smoked Paprika that I added at the end as well – I plan on making this again and freezing it into single serve containers. So much better than buying it from a store, thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Hi, Shelby! I am SO glad to hear that, thank you so much for sharing your feedback ? Your subs sound great too. And that’s exactly what I do, make a bit batch and freeze portions so I can enjoy it whenever. We really appreciate your support!
How many ounces of coconut milk did you use? I can’t find “cans”,only cartons, so I don’t know how much 1/2 can is. Thanks.
Hi Teresa, a can of coconut milk is typically 14.5 ounces so you would want to use about 7 ounces of milk. You can always add more to suit your taste. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out!
Finally got a cool day in Florida, this was my maiden voyage with my new Instant Pot. Great soup, I made a few changes based on not liking coconut. Thank you Dawn!
Awe thank you Kathleen! So glad you loved it, and enjoy that Instant Pot. It’s one of our favorite tools!
I never comment on blogs but I had to for this. I have made many different butternut squash soup recipes and this was by far the best. It was so creamy…sweet and savory at the same time. Thanks for this recipe!
I ended up leaving out the sage because I didn’t have any, but it was amazing.
Awe, thank you so much Lesley! I am so happy to hear that, you made my day ❤️ So glad you love it as much as we do. It does have such a great balance of sweet and savory. Thanks for sharing!!
I just made this tonight and it is absolutely delicious!! I’ve already sent the recipe to my mom, sister, and friends! 🙂
The soup is so silky and flavorful! I especially loved the addition of a sweet potato to the recipe. I will definitely be making this again!
Awe Amber, that is amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and passing along the recipe to others. We appreciate it so much! So glad you love it as much as we do ?
I did not have the sweet potato, but I didn’t think it would make much difference. I also used homemade chicken stock in place of bone broth. I followed all the steps. It smells delicious, but the flavor wasn’t there. I can definitely doctor it up for leftovers, but was kind of disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as it smelled.
Hi Anne, I am sorry to hear it didn’t come together for you! The sweet potato does add texture and flavor, so that could be part of it. Did you change anything else? And did you add the toppings at the end?