Butternut Squash Soup with Herbs Your Choice

Serves 10 in about 1 hour. The pot starts with inch piece ginger, then coconut milk drizzle.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored chopped
• 3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped in 2"-3" chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional. adds a bright note and sweetness)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• ½ (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (or ½ cup of heavy cream)
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Coconut milk drizzle (or heavy cream drizzle)
• Fresh herbs of your choice

Method

1. Turn the pressure cooker to Sauté. When the display reads HOT, add the olive oil.
2. Tip in the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until they turn slightly translucent.
3. Tip in garlic, and ginger. Leave it to cook for a instant, while stirring the whole time.
4. Tip in carrots, apple, squash, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg. Mix well.
5. Tip in broth and optional orange zest and/or cayenne powder, if using, and stir.
6. Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
7. Cancel the Sauté mode. Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and then the +/- button or dial to select 10 minutes. High Pressure.
8. When the cooking cycle ends, let the pot naturally release pressure (just let it sit) for 15 minutes. Then manually release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid after the pin in the lid drops down.
9. Mix the soup and then use an immersion blender to puree to a creamy consistency (If you don't have an immersion blender you can transfer contents to a food processor or a blender. You will have to puree the soup in batches as you can't put much hot food in either of those appliances.
10. Move the pureed soup back to the pot if you didn't use an immersion blender.
11. Finish the soup by stirring in the coconut milk, or cream.
12. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
13. Garnish as desired and serve.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.