Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Goat Cheese

This simple Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup cooks in just 6 minutes! Finishing with goat cheese adds a special touch that makes this a restaurant-quality dish you can easily make at home.

It’s kind of a big day around here, because this is the first Instant Pot recipe I’ve shared on this blog! I actually bought an Instant Pot this past spring, because a client requested some freelance recipe development using one.

I borrowed an Instant Pot cookbook from the library and made a bunch of recipes to learn how to use the appliance (including Instant Pot short ribs and Instant Pot sweet and sour chicken), then completed the freelance project.

Then, I kind of tucked the pot in my office and forgot about it all summer.

Until now, because this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Goat Cheese is on the scene! While I love a long simmered crockpot soup and Old Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup on my stovetop, the depth of flavor of a pressured cooked soup just can’t be beat.

What is in Butternut Squash Soup?

I cook at least two to three different varieties of butternut squash soup and sweet dumpling squash soup (and butternut squash noodles, too!) every fall (I love to have a pot simmering while I’m making Halloween snacks), almost always simply using what I happen to have on hand. It always turns out great.

Like with my roasted acorn squash slices and roasted delicata squash, I think that the flavor of the squash really should be the star, and adding lots of other ingredients isn’t necessary.

This time around, I used the following ingredients:

• butternut squash – I chose two small ones versus one large one, because I think the flavor of the small ones is better.
• garlic
• shallots
• chicken stock – can substitute vegetable stock to keep this vegetarian!
• fresh thyme
• bay leaf
• cayenne
• nutmeg
• salt
• goat cheese – buy a big package and use the rest to make my fried goat cheese salad or a sweet potato breakfast casserole.
• half and half
• aleppo pepper or ground black pepper, for garnish.

How to cook easy butternut squash soup in instant pot:

Different models of Instant Pot may have slightly different directions, but for the one I have, the directions told me that for butternut squash, I should secure the lid and set Pressure Release to Sealing.

Then, select Pressure Cook or Manual Setting and set cooking time for 6 minutes at high pressure (pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before cooking time begins). When the cooking time ends, perform a quick pressure release by moving Pressure Release to Venting.

I cooked the squash with all of the spices and aromatics in the recipe, as well as the broth. Once the cooking time was complete and the pot was vented, I added half and half and goat cheese, and then blended the soup until smooth.

Can I make this instant pot butternut squash soup spicy?

Of course! The sweetness of the squash is really great when it’s balanced with spicy flavors. You can add extra pinches of cayenne to the soup, if desired.

Other options are a squirt of harissa paste or sriracha, or even some chopped jalapeño pepper. I usually have sambal oelek on hand for making shrimp wonton soup, and that’s another good option.

Hot curry powder is always a great addition to butternut squash soup as well.

Can I make instant pot butternut squash soup using frozen butternut squash?

Yes, you can! Fully thaw the squash before proceeding with the recipe as written, OR add 2 minutes to the Instant Pot cooking time if starting with squash that is still frozen. It will turn out great either way!

What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?

No problem, you can still make this recipe! I would add all of the ingredients from Step 1 to a large Dutch oven and cook on the stove over medium-high heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Then, proceed with Steps 3 and 4.