40 minutes make the most deliciously creamy curry soup! Curried Butternut Squash Soup is packed with veggies and is made in the Instant Pot, making it so easy to make. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, appetizer, or meal prep. Vegan, paleo, gluten and dairy-free, and Whole30 approved!
Last updated on February 17, 2020.
All about he soups lately! Posted with vegan broccoli cheese soup back in January, then this chicken fajita soup last week, and now here were are with this curried butternut squash soup!
And it’s made in the Instant Pot, making it an easy and healthy soup recipe!
To be honest, I’m still not 100% sold on my Instant Pot. We make a lot of shredded chicken and rice in ours, but that’s about it. But with the addition of this Thai curry butternut squash soup in the rotation, I’m starting to love it more and more!
And it can make cooking so much easier, especially with the multiple functions. This soup starts off with the saute function to help infuse the flavors, and then gets set to manual pressure so everything cooks through. Then you just blend it up for the ultimate creamy vegan soup.
Michael and I are huge fans and he is usually picky about these kinds of things. I have made it for my parents too and they loved it. It does make a decent amount so it’s perfect for a handful of people at dinner or for meal prep! I prep it on Sunday and it keeps throughout the week.
If needed, add some cooked meat right into it for a little boost of protein. I’ve also mixed in some collagen as a post workout meal. The protein is definitely not needed though as it is great by itself.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Instant pot coconut curry butternut squash soup come together in one pan, takes 40 minutes from start to finish, and is loaded with veggies. It makes a comforting and creamy healthy soup recipe without any dairy or flour. Perfect for an appetizer, meal prep, or meatless Monday meal.
Here is what you need:
- onion
- butternut squash
- cauliflower
- fresh garlic
- fresh ginger
- vegetable broth
- lite coconut milk
- curry powder
- curry paste
- lime juice
- oil
- salt and pepper
First start off by placing your Instant Pot on saute mode and adding the oil. Once it is hot, add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent. Then add the fresh garlic and ginger and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add in the cubed butternut squash and cauliflower florets and stir to combine. Saute for 2-3 more minutes.
Next add in the vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, curry paste, and salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Make sure nothing is stuck on the bottom. Close the lid, set vent to sealed mode, and set to manual mode for 20 minutes.
Once soup is done, release pressure naturally or manually (either will work). Add in the lime juice. Then, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor and blend in multiple batches if needed.
Finally, top with some toppings (my favorite part!) and enjoy! I like topping with coconut milk or yogurt, hot sauce, cilantro, and chopped nuts or crackers for some crunch.
Can you Freeze Butternut Squash Soup
To freeze, let the curried butternut squash soup cool completely. Pour into glass jars (I love these weck jars). Leave about an inch of space at the top between the soup and the lid so it has room to expand. Place in freezer and when you are ready to eat, let defrost in the fridge or in the sink for a few hours. Then just heat in small saucepan or the microwave.
It should last in the freezer for 3 months.
Substitutions for Curried Butternut Squash Soup
This Instant Pot soup is super simple, which makes is super customizable. Here are some suggestions to change it up or ingredients you can use based on what you have on hand:
- squash – any kind of winter squash will work if you don’t have butternut. Some suggestions are acorn, buttercup, pumpkin (look for a sugar pumpkin), delicata, kabocha, and carnival. Sweet potatoes would even be delicious if you don’t have squash! However, the only one I wouldn’t suggest is spaghetti squash.
- veggies – you can also alter the amounts of cauliflower and butternut squash if you want more of one or the other. Reducing the amount of butternut squash and adding more cauliflower will make it lower carb.
- spices – the easiest way to change up the flavors! You can easily switch up the spices in this butternut squash soup. Chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, onion powder, or even turmeric would be delicious instead of the curry powder and curry paste.
- broth – to make the soup more rich, try using nut milk. You could also use bone broth to add some protein, but the soup will no longer be vegan.
- coconut milk – feel free to use full fat coconut milk instead of lite.
What can I add to my Butternut Squash Soup
Here are a few options to serve this soup with it:
- salad – soup and salad are the best!
- sandwich
- crusty bread to soak up all the delicious creaminess
- crackers
In addition, if you want more protein, here a few suggestions:
- shredded chicken
- ground turkey or sausage (beef, pork, turkey)
- scoop or two of collagen
- chickpeas or beans – a great option if you want to keep it plant based
More Instant Pot Recipes
Healthy Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Roasted Red Pepper & Squash Soup
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1/3 of a large one/120 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 5 heaping cups cubed butternut squash (1 medium/775 grams)
- 4 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (1 small head/525 grams)
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon curry paste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional toppings: coconut milk, coconut yogurt, jalapeno, cilantro, hot sauce, cashews...
instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add avocado oil, onion, and salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until somewhat softened. Add garlic and ginger, mix well, and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add butternut squash and cauliflower and saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add vegetable broth, lite coconut milk, curry powder, curry paste, and salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. Make sure nothing is stuck on the bottom. Close lid, make sure vent is set to sealed, and set to manual mode on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- When soup is done, release pressure manually or let it release naturally. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice. Take an immersion blender and blend until smooth. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor to blend. Top with optional toppings and enjoy!
nutrition
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Tiffany says
Could I use frozen butternut squash instead? This sounds amazing!
Kelly says
Hey Tiffany, yes that would work great! Hope you enjoy!
Dan says
Looks good will have to make it
Kelly says
Thank you!!
Sruti Rayaprolu says
Made this recipe without the cauliflower and doubled the butternut squash portion. It was just as delicious!! My husband ate two huge bowls 😋
Kelly says
Oh I love that idea! Always good news when the husbands approve! Thanks for trying it Sruti!
Denise says
This looks so good! Although I don’t have an instant pot. Can you tell me the cooking instruction a for a crockpot?
Kelly says
Yes! I would just add all the ingredients to the crockpot and set it on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours! Let me know how it goes!
Kelly says
Made this last night and the flavor simply blew our minds. Great recipe! And super easy!
Kelly says
So happy to hear that Kelly! The IP makes it so easy! Thanks for trying!
Kelsey says
This recipe was so easy and quick to whip up! Plus it tastes really great. I highly recommend for meal prep during the week.
Kelly says
Glad you enjoyed it Kelsey! I agree, great for meal prep!
inconnexion says
I had no idea what a Fig Newton bar was and had to google it. I doubt fresh figs taste anything like it. Today I tasted something very delicious that actually made me wonder what I can do with dried figs. It was one of those one bite appetizers served on a spoon with a butternut puree on the base of the spoon, a thin slice of smoked duck rolled and placed on top of the butternut puree and topped with a dot of dried fig puree and a redcurrant. The sweet, smoky and slightly salty flavors together were fabulous flavor explosion.
Mary Ellen says
Looks delish! I’ll be making it this weekend for lunches this week. Is there a substitute for curry paste? I don’t have it and of course, just got back from the grocery store…
Kelly says
Haha, sounds like me. There is always something I forget. You can add some more curry powder or just leave it out all together and not sub anything. It just adds more curry flavor, so it depends on how much curry flavor you like. Hope that helps and enjoy!