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Curried Butternut Squash Soup is made with hearty butternut squash, spicy curry, onions, garlic, and ginger with a hint of coconut milk to give it a nice creamy finish. This flavorful, creamy soup comes together in 10 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot and it is both Vegan and Gluten Free!
Curry Butternut Squash Soup is one of those recipes that are hearty, bright, fresh, and perfect for fall. Since butternut squash is in season it is less expensive and more flavourful which makes this soup really pop. The addition of the curry makes it irresistible and packed with so much flavor!
If you are not into curry then check out this amazing Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup that is also so delicious and more of a classic recipe.
Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can make this squash soup all in one pot in about 10-15 minutes, which is pretty amazing and convenient. It really is a vibrant spin on traditional butternut squash soup and it comes out so smooth and creamy.
Why you’ll love this butternut squash soup recipe
- It is bursting with flavor!
- Easy to make in about 15 minutes.
- Smooth, creamy and so good!
- It stores great so it is a wonderful meal-prep recipe.
- Everyone can enjoy it since it is both Vegan and Gluten Free!
What is curry powder?
Curry powder is a traditional Indian spice made up of a blend of cumin, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. It is typically used to add Indian flavor to meat and vegetables. Check out this article on Homemade Curry Powder.
What is Curry Paste?
Curry paste is like curry powder except it is curry powder blended with other herbs into a paste so it has a little bit more of a concentrated curry flavor. You can buy a curry paste at most grocery stores. For more information about curry paste check out this article on Everything You Need To Know About Curry Paste.
Ingredients you will need
- Butternut squash – 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed. You could also use precut squash you can buy at most grocery stores.
- Vegetable stock– use any you like. You can even use chicken stock if you do not need to keep this recipe vegan.
- Onion – 1 onion for those delicious aromatics.
- Garlic – a couple of cloves of garlic is good. You can even use garlic paste, about 1 tablespoon.
- Red curry paste – this you can find in the Asian aisle of almost any grocery store for that vibrant Thai-inspired spicey element.
- Curry powder – to add even more curry flavor to the soup.
- Ginger – you can use fresh ginger or ginger paste. I am a huge fan of ginger paste since it is so convenient and no peeling is needed!
- Coconut milk – for a thicker soup use unsweetened, canned coconut milk. For a thinner soup use unsweetened beverage coconut milk. You can find it either at any grocery store or online.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper – used to enhance all of the other flavors.
*Get the full list of ingredients and recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
How to make curried butternut squash soup
You can easily make this soup in less than 15 minutes in the Instant Pot. See the recipe notes below for stovetop and slow cooker instructions.
Step one – Set the Instant Pot to “sauté”, and add the olive oil, onions, garlic, ginger, and cubed squash. Season that all with some salt and pepper toss and cook it for 4-5 minutes.
Step two – Add in the curry paste and powder, vegetable stock and more salt and pepper for seasoning. Stir that all together. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to the “sealing” position. Set the soup to cook in manual mode for 10 minutes.
Step three – Once the soup is ready, remove the lid and turn the Instant Pot off. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a high-speed blender to blend it up and return it to the pot. Pour in a little coconut milk for an extra creamy soup.
Step four – Divide the curry butternut squash soup between a few bowls, and top it with another splash of coconut milk, some freshly torn cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and red pepper flakes.
Note: Here are some helpful step-by-step instructions for how to peel and cut butternut squash.
Recipe Tips
- For a recipe shortcut, you can buy prepared butternut squash that has already been peeled and chopped at most grocery stores. You will need 6-7 cups of cubed squash.
- You can peel and cut the squash in advance and store it in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days before you use it.
- Any type of unsweetened, non-dairy milk or cream will work in this recipe
- You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock if you do not need to keep this recipe vegan.
- An immersion blender is the best tool for blending the soup. Just make sure to unplug the Instant pot before you blend it if you are blending right in the pot.
Serving Suggestions
This curried butternut squash soup is great all on its own but here are a few other recipes that would pair perfectly with it for a more hearty meal.
- A Chickpea Chicken Salad Sandwich or this Roasted Veggies and Hummus Sandwich would both be great accompaniments to this butternut squash soup.
- Serve it with these Gluten Free Herb Biscuits that would be great for dipping in the soup.
- Pair it with a hearty salad like this Beet and Goat Cheese Salad or this Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad.
- It would also be so good with some warm, fluffy naan bread.
How to store and reheat curried butternut squash soup
This soup can be stored after it has cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in portions in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Sausage and Apple Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Easy Maple Glazed Butternut Squash
- The BEST Mashed Butternut Squash
- Healthy Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
More fall soup recipes
- Healthy Creamy Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup
- Spicy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
- Simple Cauliflower Sausage and Kale Soup
Did you make this curried butternut squash soup recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.
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Curried Butternut Squash Soup – Instant Pot Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Curried butternut squash soup is so creamy, flavorful, and perfect for fall! It is made with only a few simple ingredients in the Instant Pot in about 15 minutes. This soup recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion – peeled and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger or ginger paste
- 1 (2.5-3 pound) butternut squash – peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth
- ¼–½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- Fresh cilantro, pumpkin seeds – optional for garnish
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to “sauté”, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, ginger and cubed squash. Season that all with some salt and pepper and toss and cook it for 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the curry paste and powder, vegetable stock and more salt and pepper for seasoning. Stir that all together. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to the “sealing” position. Set the soup to cook in manual mode for 10 minutes. The pressure will naturally release after 10 minutes. If it does not release then you can do a manual release.
- Once the soup is ready, carefully remove the lid and turn the Instant Pot off. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a high-speed blender to blend it up and return it to the pot. Stir in a little coconut milk for extra creamy soup.
- Divide the curry butternut squash soup between a few bowls, and top it with another splash of coconut milk, some fresh torn cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and red pepper flakes. Serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- For a shortcut, you can buy prepared butternut squash that has already been peeled and chopped. You will need 6-7 cups of cubed squash.
- You can peel and cut the squash in advance and store it in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days before you use it.
- Any type of unsweetened, non-dairy milk or cream will work in this recipe
- You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock if you do not need to keep this recipe vegan.
- An immersion blender is the best tool for blending the soup. Just make sure to unplug the Instant pot before you blend it if you are blending right in the pot.
- Store this soup once it has fully cooled in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Easily reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
- Stovetop Instructions: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil then add the onions, garlic, ginger, and squash to the pot and toss and cook it all for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the curry then add the stock and season. Cover and let it cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, blend, stir in the coconut milk and serve.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Heat the slow cooker to medium heat. Add the olive oil then add the onions, garlic, ginger, and squash to the pot and toss and cook it all for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the curry then add the stock and season. Cover and set the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Then blend, stir in the coconut milk and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian
I have now made this recipe 3 times, didn’t change anything. It got me using our new Instant Pot and helped with the overflow of butternut squash from our garden. It will be a winter favourite as a lot of that squash is going into the freezer. Super easy and really tasty!
That is so great Joan! It is so good as leftovers. More easy Instant Pot recipes are coming. Stay tuned!
This was really really really good. Totally digging the addition of bacon!
I used jarred thyme & sage because it was what I had and I used cream cheese instead of heavy cream.
Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked it.