Instant Pot Thai butternut squash soup

Ready in 30 minutes, this cuddlesome bowl of soup blends sweet butternut squash with Thai spices for a super convenient, autumnal lunch.

On those dreary days in the middle of autumn, a steaming hot bowl of soup is my default meal of choice whenever I’m in need of a pick-me up at lunchtime.

This Thai inspired concoction came about from having a glut of butternut squash leftover from Halloween and wanting to experiment with the soup function on my Instant Pot.

Everything is bundled together in one pot and left to cook for 30 minutes while the house fills with all those lovely aromas.

For an that authentic Thai flavour, you need it to be sweet, sour and spicy which is why the lime juice, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste are so essential. It’s a little on the spicy side, but I guarantee it will keep you coming back for more!

Everything You Need To Know To Make My Instant Pot Thai Butternut Squash Soup

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Instant Pot Thai butternut squash soup
• How do you prepare a butternut squash
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Make it your own: Any Thai curry paste will work so use whatever is lying about in your store-cupboard. If you want to increase your protein intake, throw some cooked prawns or leftover chicken in at the end before spooning into bowls.
• Add the coconut milk at the end: Cooking any form of milk under high pressure can cause it to split and ruin the look and texture of the soup.
• Blend carefully: To avoid an explosion of hot soup, wait 5 minutes before blending the butternut squash. A hand blender works best for ease (and less mess).
• Adjust the thickness: If the consistency of the soup is too thin, simmer on the sauté mode of the Instant Pot to reduce.

Instant Pot Thai butternut squash soup

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 35 mins 35 mins

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Ingredients

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
700g butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into small chunks
2 kaffir lime leaves
400ml vegetable stock
1 tsp palm sugar
1/2 x 400g can lighter coconut milk
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 lime, juice only

To serve
30g cashew nuts
25g pumpkin or butternut squash seeds 
1 red chilli, finely sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1
Heat an Instant Pot using the sauté function (normal mode). Add the oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and Thai curry paste and stir-fry for 1 minute more.

Step 2
Cancel the sauté function and add the butternut squash to the pot. Stir in the kaffir lime leaves, vegetable stock and palm sugar and close the lid. Seal the pressure valve, press the soup function and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

Step 3
Meanwhile, spread the cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds out on a lined baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 200C for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent any scorching. Keep warm and set aside.

Step 4
Once the time is up, release the pressure and remove the kaffir lime leaves. Stir in the coconut milk and blitz with a hand blender until smooth, adding extra stock to loosen if necessary.

Step 5
Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste, then divide between bowls. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds, cashew nuts and sliced red chilli, if desired. Serve with warm sourdough rolls on the side.  

How Do You Prepare A Butternut Squash?

1. A sharp knife and a sturdy chopping board are essential when attempting to tackle a butternut squash. You need to create a stable base, so trim off the ends in the same way you would a pineapple.
2. You can keep the skin on, which is edible, or you can pop the butternut squash in the microwave for 30 seconds which makes peeling it a lot easier.
3. Stand the butternut squash upright and use a chef’s knife to cut down the centre, from top to bottom, to expose the seeds at the neck end.
4. Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds. These can then be tossed with a little olive oil and roasted at 180C for 20 minutes or until crisp to make toasted pumpkin seeds. The stringy pulp from the cavity should be discarded or composted.
5. You can roast the two butternut squash halves or, for the purpose of this recipe, cut into wedges or smaller cubes before adding to the Instant Pot

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Using Coconut Milk, Creamed Coconut And Coconut Cream?

I have been caught out before, so it’s worth knowing that creamed coconut and coconut cream are two very different things. Creamed coconut is unsweetened, dried coconut flesh which has been ground down and formed into a semi-solid block.

Whereas, coconut cream and coconut milk are made by combining the same raw ingredient and blending it with water. 

Coconut cream uses a higher proportion of the flesh, hence it is higher in calories and more concentrated like whipped cream. 

You can make your own coconut milk for this recipe by diluting a 25g block of creamed coconut (I use Blue Dragon) in 75ml of warm water. A 2:1 ratio of water to coconut cream will also yield the same result.

What Curry Paste Should I Use?

My advice – as with everything – is to always read the label. If you haven’t heard of some of the ingredients listed, you should maybe question whether this is something you want to be putting into your body.

Supermarket shelves can be a bit of a minefield, but I tend to use brands like Spice Tailor and Mae Ploy which use only natural ingredients without any artificial colours, MSG or preservatives.