In my opinion, Butternut Squash Soup should go right up there with Pumpkin Spice Lattes when Fall hits. Nothing beats a warm, comforting soup for dinner when you walk in from the cold, blustery day. And this one, because it's Instant Pot, can be done in a flash! It also can be done conventional stove top too, just takes a little longer. One thing I've found is that the apple counts. I've tried it with Braeburns, Fujis, and Granny apples. It changes the flavor of the soup for sure! The Braeburns and Fujis give it a softer taste, sweet and smooth. The Granny Smith apple gives it more of a savory tart taste. Bacon goes better with the reds, leave bacon out and go dairy free and load up on the herbs with the green. It's a fun experiment! And the cool part is, one can experiment all winter long too. Get the family involved! See which version they like best!
Prep all fruits and veggies. Peel butternut squash and chop into ~2" chunks. Peel and slice up carrots. Chop celery and onion. Slice apple and cut into large chunks. Peel garlic.
Set Intant Pot to sauté. Add Sage & Onion Olive Oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté away! Stir frequently so it doesn't burn. Sauté until onions are golden and soft. Once cooked, add chicken broth and deglaze the pan just a bit. Break up all that sticky brown stuff that makes the soup so delicious. For the chicken or vegetable broth, we love Brooks Broth - the chicken is super healthy bone broth and both are packed with flavor. They come in a 24oz jar so another cup of liquid should be added.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Manually set your pressure cooker to high and in the sealing position. Set for 12 minutes and let it do its magic.
Once done, vent the pressure cooker. If it's on a counter in the open, vent away just be careful of the steam. If its under or close to under a cupboard, its a good idea to cover the top with a tea towel so you're not steaming your cupboards!
Grab your emersion blender and blend away! Start on a low setting and work your way up so you don't have a big splatter mess everywhere. If you don't have an emersion blender, ask for one for Christmas or your birthday! They're way easier and less messy than pouring into a blender. But if you have to use a regular blender, make sure your blender can handle super hot liquids or let the soup cool for 10-15 minutes first.
Once it's blended and creamy, dish up! Add your favorite toppings. Pepitas, bacon, dried cranberries, sour cream, fried sage crumbles, extra drizzle of EVOO!
If you don't have an Instant Pot. Stove top is very similar. well, almost exactly the same, however once all ingredients are in the pot, bring to a simmer and let simmer 30+ minutes or until the squash is fall apart with a fork done. The blending is just the same too.
