Instant Pot Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
A delicious and hearty whole food plant-based butternut squash soup. A stealthy ingredient (red lentils) add plant-powered protein and nutrients to make this a complete meal.
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced (2 Tbsp)
- ½ inch piece of ginger peeled and grated (1 tsp)
- ½ cup red lentils
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage finely minced (or 2 tsp dried/rubbed)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary finely minced (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 3 pounds butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 3-4 cups Umami Vegetable Broth*
- Salt and pepper to taste optional
- Garnish sliced green onions, roasted pepitas, chopped parsley, sriracha, pomegranates, vegan parmesan cheese, or croutons.
Instructions
- Using the sauté function in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, sauté the onions for 1-2 minutes, adding a tablespoon of broth or water to prevent sticking, as needed. Presse cancel.
- Press cancel. (it will keep sautéing, but we don't want it too hot)
- Add in the minced ginger and garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in the herbs and spices.
- Stir in the red lentils, butternut squash, and 3 cups vegetable broth.
- Attach and lock lid with sealing knob to sealing. Start on High Pressure (manual pressure cook) for 5 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then cautiously turn the knob to release any additional pressure. Remove the lid and press Cancel.
- Stir the soup carefully until you find the bay leaf. Pull out and discard.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender (work in batches if needed) and process until smooth, adding up to 1 cup more vegetable broth or unsweetened plant milk if your soup is too thick.**
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, roasted pepitas, sriracha, pomegranates, vegan parmesan cheese, or croutons.
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to two months.
Notes
* Umami Vegetable Broth is a flavorful homemade broth made with kitchen scraps and packs a lot of deep umami flavor. You can also use commercially prepared vegetable broth or water.
** After blending your soup, feel free to add more broth if it’s too thick. If you prefer a slightly creamier flavor, substitute this last addition of broth with unsweetened plant milk.
** After blending your soup, feel free to add more broth if it’s too thick. If you prefer a slightly creamier flavor, substitute this last addition of broth with unsweetened plant milk.