An easy, quick vegan Instant Pot soup.

I joined the Instant Pot bandwagon last Thanksgiving when the 6QT IP DUO went on sale for Black Friday. Credit also goes to my kitchen-gadget-loving “partner in crime,” friend, mentor, and aunt (yes, she is all of the above) who got me completely hooked. I’m talking about Anusuya of Anusuya’s Kitchen fame, someone I’ve always admired for her no-fail traditional recipes, versatile cooking, and practical kitchen tips.

Of course, anyone who knows me well knows I have a serious kitchen gadget obsession, so all she really had to do was exhale and the Instant Pot appeared in my next Amazon shipment in almost exactly a week.

Since then, I’ve been trying out many dishes, and one of the biggest time savers by far has been making pasta in the Instant Pot. Four minutes on high pressure and it’s done. No waiting for water to boil, no worrying about over- or under-cooking—it turns out almost perfectly every single time. More on that in a separate post.

I’ve also been experimenting with One Pot One Shot (OPOS) cooking in the Instant Pot. There is a science behind it, which I’ve mentioned before, and it has completely changed how I cook and save time in the kitchen.

This particular Instant Pot soup recipe came together more on a whim—but it turned out to be a fantastic time-saving meal when you truly want to cook using just one pot. It was one of those crazy days when the kitchen, stovetop, and countertops had just been deep-cleaned after all the greasy, frenzied cooking over the weekend (Varalakshmi puja and get-togethers), and I still needed to make lunch.

I didn’t want to touch the stove or mess up the counters again. So I turned on the oven and roasted the butternut squash that had been sitting on my table for the last ten days. I’ve realized that oven-roasting vegetables regularly and storing them is a huge time saver. You can use them in salads, soups, or even eat them as-is for a quick meal.

I then turned on the Instant Pot, roughly chopped some onions directly into it, added the roasted squash, broth, and other ingredients, and blended everything straight in the pot. In about 20 minutes (not including the squash roasting time), this delicious soup was ready. Lightly sweet, with a subtle spice from the curry powder and chili garlic, this soup makes for a filling lunch. It’s also non-dairy (vegan) and gluten-free.

Tip

To roast butternut squash, make a few slits in the tough skin and microwave it on high for about 2–3 minutes (again, note that I avoided the stove). This helps loosen the skin and makes it easier to cut.

Slice the squash in half, lightly spray with olive oil, and roast in the oven at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Chop into chunks and store in the fridge or freezer, or use right away in your cooking.

roasted butternut squash

So this recipe is a true One Pot Instant Pot soup, made with about 10 ingredients, with no major chopping and no stovetop cooking required. Let me know if you try it.

Making of Butternut Squash Soup

Instant Pot Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
 
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15 minute vegan butternut squash soup made in the Instant Pot. Lightly sweet with a tingle of curry powder and chili garlic to spice things up!
Author:
Recipe type: Instant Pot Recipes
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • Roasted butternut squash - 2 cups
  • Olive oil - 2 tsp
  • Chopped vidalia or yellow onion - ½ or 1 small
  • Crushed garlic - 1 tsp
  • A sprig of rosemary
  • Curry powder - 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
  • Vegetable stock - readymade or prepared - 2 cups
  • Coconut milk - ½ -3/4 cup
  • Maple syrup - 2 tbsp
  • Chili garlic paste - to taste
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Roast the butternut squash in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until tender.
  2. Turn the Instant Pot on to Saute Mode
  3. When it turns "Hot" add the olive oil.
  4. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute till the onions turn translucent.
  5. Add a sprig of the rosemary and saute for another minute.
  6. Add the chopped roasted butternut squash, mix everything well.
  7. Add the curry powder, cinnamon powder, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and saute again for a minute.
  8. Make 2 cups of vegetable broth and add this to the mixture.
  9. Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, chili garlic sauce.
  10. Let the mixture come to a light boil. Will take about 3-4 minutes.
  11. Turn the IP off.
  12. With an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients into a smooth soup. You may also transfer to a regular blender at this step to blend.
  13. Serve hot, garnished with some coconut cream, pumpkin seeds.
  14. You may add more chili garlic paste or salt and pepper or maple syrup to taste.

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