Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Healthy and hearty Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup can be prepared in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker, and can easily be made vegan-friendly with just a few small changes. It's perfect for a cozy fall or winter meal....but I love to eat it year-round!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 241 kcal

5 from 2 votes

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Equipment

1 Instant pot or slow cooker (6qt model used for this recipe)
1 Immersion blender or standard blender
1 Potato peeler

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions, peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional for vegan recipe -- see Notes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 to 3½ lb butternut squash, halved, peeled and cored
2½ lb red sweet potatoes or garnet yams, peeled
6 to 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Instructions

Halve the onions and then thinly slice them.
Heat the butter and oil using the Sauté function on your Instant Pot (for vegan recipes, omit the butter and use 2 tablespoon olive oil instead.) See "Notes" section below for directions if using a slow cooker or a pot on your stove top.
Add the onion, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown and tender, 10-15 minutes.
While the onion cooks, cut the butternut squash and sweet potatoes into 1½ inch pieces. Add these to the the Instant Pot along with 6 cups of the broth.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and switch to the "Manual" feature, set to 16 minutes. When finished, allow the steam to naturally release for 15 minutes and then carefully flip the sealing nozzle to release the rest.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the Instant Pot until it is smooth an creamy, or transfer the soup to a traditional blender to puree in batches.
Add more broth to the soup if it is too thick for your taste (I like a thicker soup), and reheat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

SLOW COOKER VARIATION If using a slow cooker instead of an Instant Pot, sauté the onions per Steps 2 and 3 in a skillet over medium heat. Transfer the onions to your slow cooker and add the butternut squash, sweet potatoes and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the squash and sweet potatoes are tender. Puree the soup as directed Step 6.
STOVE TOP VARIATION If using a large pot on your stove top instead of an Instant Pot, sauté the onions per Steps 2 and 3 in the pot over over medium heat. Add the butternut squash, sweet potatoes and broth. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until until the squash and sweet potatoes are very tender, 20-25 minutes. Puree the soup as directed Step 6.
This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to one week.
To make this soup vegan, simply substitute the butter with 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

Nutrition

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