Instant Pot Golden Glow Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Golden Glow Butternut Squash Soup is a super simple, easy fall recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinners. Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, paleo and whole30 friendly.

Well hello there fall, it’s good to see you!
I’ll admit I’m a total sucker for all things fall, from the crisp cool air, to leaves changing color, to all the amazing flavors of the season.
Apple, butternut squash, pumpkin, I say bring it on!
I also happen to be a huge fan of butternut squash soup, and though I make it often, I realized recently that I don’t have a proper recipe here on the blog.
How in the world did that happen?
I have to say, not only is this recipe crazy simple but it’s also really darn delicious and totally fits the bill for a crisp fall evening or cold winter night.
In an effort to streamline prep, this one is a standard chop-and-drop situation, meaning you can probably have it one in the pot and ready to go in a matter of minutes.
The cook time is only 5 minutes, but do keep in mind that the cook time does not include the time it takes your pressure cooker to come to pressure.
Depending on the temperature of your ingredients, I’ve found it takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure, making it will take about 20 minutes total cook time.
Using an immersion blender makes blending ultra simple here and guarantees smooth results every time.
Of course you can use a regular blender, too. Just be careful when transfering hot liquids.
A quick note that the consistency of this soup is very traditional for a butternut squash soup.
If you prefer something thicker, though, you can always add 1-2 peeled and chopped potatoes to the mix.
I hope you’ll make this one soon. If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!



Recipe & Kid Friendly Adaptations
1 | Soup not enough to fill up your family? Top with cooked sausage (we like apple chicken) or Smokey Maple Roasted Chickpeas to bump up the protein, and add some bread or a quesadilla on the side for dipping.
2 | This soup freezes beautiful. Here are my simplified tips for freezing.
3 | Have fun with the toppings for this one. I’ve provided some options in the recipe, but feel free to use your taste and what you have on hand as a guide.
4 | I used homemade chicken stock in this recipe but storebought works as well. Be sure to use vegetable stock to keep this recipe vegetarian + vegan.
Prefer to make this in the slow cooker? Try this crockpot butternut squash soup with apple recipe. Same delicious flavor & ingredients!
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarianWhole30
Pin the Image Below To Save Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup (dairy-free, whole30) to Pinterest for Later!


Instant Pot Golden Glow Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrot
- 2 cups chopped apple, such as Honeycrisp
- 6 cups chopped butternut squash
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 quart chicken stock , or vegetable stock
- 1 cup coconut milk, from a can
- For serving: fresh sage, toasted pumpkin seeds, freshly ground pepper, Smokey Maple Roasted Chickpeas (optional)
Instructions
- Add the onion, carrot, apple, butternut squash, garlic, salt, turmeric, cinnamon and stock to a 6-quart pressure cooker.
- Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the pressure cooker timer is done, quick release the pressure.
- Uncover and add the coconut milk. Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, carefully ladle the soup into a blender and blend on high until smooth.
- Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve with any toppings you like.
Stovetop Variation:
- Follow step 1, but use a large Dutch oven or pot.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 25-35 minutes.
- Proceed with steps 4-5.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition disclaimerThis post contains affiliate links
Can this be made on the stovetop or in a crockpot?
Laura, yep! I just added variations. 🙂
I just got an Instant Pot for my birthday and this was the first recipe I tried in it, and first of your recipes I tried. It was SO GOOD! I’ve been searching for the best butternut squash soup recipe, that has the right balance of sweet and savory and not too thick or too watery, but creamy. And it was so easy, definitely glad I got the Instant Pot. Thank you!
Holly, woohoo, so glad you enjoyed. Cheers to easy Instant Pot recipes. 🙂
Made this for the first time last weekend. It was so easy to make and tasted so good! I packed it every day for lunch along with a grilled cheese. Great recipe for all those fall vibes.
Julie, woohoo so happy to hear this one was a hit. So delish with a side of grilled cheese. Yum! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I just made this and it turned out great! This is a keepers. I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Thank you
Laura, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one!
Me too, my first Instant Pot recipe, added more cream but dang good!
Jenni, yay! So glad you enjoyed and made it your own. 🙂
I used leek and shallots in place of onion also added curry and cayenne powder! Delicious!
Shannon, yum, love these swaps, especially the addition of curry. I’ll have to try that next time!
Do you have the nutritional information for this soup? Thank you!
Hi Madalyn, we focus on real food around here, so no numbers to share. You can always enter the recipe into a nutritional calculator if that’s important to you. Hope you enjoy!
This is sooo good! I love butternut squash soup and so many have a very distinct flavor profile like curry, but this is nice and neutral which is great if you are pairing it with something else that has a strong flavor. I reversed the amounts of turmeric and cinnamon and used only 3 c of veg stock as I wanted a thicker soup. Perfect! Wouldn’t change a thing. Will definitely make again!
Yay, Kristine, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Amazing flavor!!!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one, Diana. Thanks so much for your reveiw!
I made this soup today and it was perfect for fall. So balanced, creamy, and tasty. My 6 year old and myself couldn’t stop eating it. Definitely in our new rotation!
Kristi, yay, so happy it was a hit with both you and your 6 year old. I’d call that a win! Thanks so much for leaving a review. 🙂
This was fall goodness in a bowl! Calling it delicious is an understatement. IP and immersion blender do all the work, besides chopping up the veggies. It’s beyond easy to make. Thank you for such a doable healthy meal 🙂
Angie, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! I love your description: fall goodness in a bowl. 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Am I adding the vegetable stock with the veggies in beginning it doesn’t say it just says to add the coconut milk after you pressurize it?
Hi Shirley, yes, per step one in the instructions, add the stock along with the veggies.
Oh my goodness, I just LOVED this soup. So bright and flavorful! This is really a soup that could be made year round thanks to the freshness of flavor. So glad I made this.
I agree with you, Jennifer, this is definitely a year round soup. Thanks for leaving a review!
I just made this and it was delicious! Thank you for a great recipe. Cheers, Laura
So glad you enjoyed, Laura, and thanks so much for leaving a review!