Instant Pot Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup

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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup with ginger and carrots is thick and creamy and comforting with the earthy flavor of the butternut squash and bell peppers.

The Instant Pot makes making this Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup even easier, and it is delicious when served with a nice fall salad and focaccia bread!

A friend gave me this recipe when my husband and I were visiting. This butternut squash soup was warm and cozy and perfect for that chilly fall day!

I adapted the recipe to make it in the Instant Pot just because the Instant Pot just makes everything easier, and I love one-pot meals. I added sautéed bell peppers to the soup so it is like a mash up of bell pepper soup and butternut squash soup.

It has now become one of our favorite Soup Recipes, especially Instant Pot Soup Recipes! And if you love Vegetarian Recipes, you’ll also love this recipe.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup
• Why This Recipe Works
• How To Make Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup
• Equipment
• Ingredient Notes
• Easy Instructions With Photos
• How To Serve Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup
• Pro Recipe Tips
• Variations of Butternut Squash Soup
• What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• More Recipes You’ll Love
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup

• Flavor. The flavor of the Butternut Squash, bell pepper, carrots, garlic and ginger provide that rich earthy flavor that everyone can enjoy!
• Texture. This soup is extra rich and creamy due to the puree of the buttnernut squash and carrots and due to the heavy cream or your favorite non-dairy milk or cream.
• Wholesome. When a soup is loaded with nutrient-packed vegetables like butternut squash, carrots and more, you can feel good about serving it to your family.
• Easy To Make. It sounds like a lof ot work at first, but to save time, you can purchase butternut squash that has already been peeled and cubed.
• Budget-Friendly. Since this is just vegetables, aromatics, broth and cream with no meat, it is a very light on your wallet, but still very hearty and filling to eat.
• Vegan Option. I include an option of how to make this soup vegan so everyone can enjoy it’s deliciousness.

Why This Recipe Works

• Passed Down for Generations. This butternut squash bell pepper soup had been in my friend’s family for generations. So it is a very tried and true recipe.
• Flavor. It is a delicous way to use those fall vegetables! The sweetness of the butternut squash and carrots goes well with the garlic and ginger for an all around wonderful flavor.
• Creamy. I love the thick and creamy texture of this soup. Texture makes it hearty, filling, and comforting.
• Easy Step By Step Photos. To make the recipe as easy as possible, I included step by step photos to help you visualize the entire cooking process.

How To Make Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup

Equipment

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product, which does not increase the price.

• Instant Pot – I use this Instant Pot Duo 7 In 1 Pressure cooking for my recipes.
• Cutting Board – You need a cutting board and I like this large, sustainable bamboo cutting board.
• Chef’s Knife – Every kitchen needs a Chef’s Knife and this is a good affordable option.
• Vegetable Chopper – If you don’t want to use a knife, then I recommend using this vegetable chopper to make chopping easier.
• Immersion Blender – A cordless immersion blender is perfect for this recipe to puree the soup after pressure cooking.
• Blender – If you prefer to use a more standard counter blender, then this Ninja Blender and food processor is a good option.

Ingredient Notes

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

• Butternut Squash. Use fresh, ripe butternut squash and cut into cubes.
  • You can buy butternut squash already peeled and cubed, or you can buy it whole and peel and cut it yourself.
  • For information on how to peel and cut butternut squash yourself, watch this video on How To Cut Butternut Squash Into Cubes.
• Oil. I used olive oil, but you could use your favorite oil like avocado oil.
• Carrot. Peel and slice fresh carrots. I like to use fresh vegetables, but you could use frozen carrots in the soup.
• Onion. Dice up an onion. I used a white onion, but you could use a red onion, yellow onion, or Sweet Vidalia onion.
• Garlic. Mince some fresh garlic, or you could also use store bought pre-minced garlic.
• Ginger. Add some minced ginger. Do not use ground ginger.
• Salt and Pepper. I used course Sea Salt and and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste.
• Chicken or Vegetable Broth. I used chicken broth but to keep it vegetarian, you can use vegetable broth instead.
• Red, Green, and Yellow Bell Peppers. You can use one small red pepper and dice it up. I recommend using fresh red pepper instead using using frozen diced red bell peppers.
• Cream. You can use Heavy Cream, Creme Fraiche, Mexican Crema, or sour cream. To make it Vegan, then I recommend using full fat coconut milk.

Easy Instructions With Photos

Saute The Aromatics

1. Turn on sauté mode on your Instant Pot and add the olive oil. When the pot is hot, add the onion.
2. Next add garlic.
3. Saute the garlic and onion.
4. Add ginger and sauté until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add Vegetables And Broth

1. Add in the butternut squash.
2. Add in the carrots.
3. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth.
4. Stir the vegetables.

Pressure Cook And Puree

1. Close lid, seal and set pressure to High for 10 minutes. (NOTE: Keep in mind that it will take approximately 10-15 minutes to reach pressure before the Instant Pot will begin counting down.) When the timer is complete, allow the steam to naturally release for 5 minutes then quickly release remaining pressure. Unplug and turn off the Instant pot and carefully open the lid.
2. Pour in the heavy cream, or coconut milk or milk of choice.
3. Using an immersion blender in the Instant Pot; or pour the soup from the Instant Pot into a regular blender.
4. Blend the squash soup until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Saute The Bell Peppers

1. On the side, in a pan on high heat, put an extra teaspoon of olive oil. Sauté the bell peppers until cooked.

How To Serve Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup

1. Place a tablespoon or two of the cooked bell peppers, depending on your taste, in each bowl.
2. Pour the Butternut Squash Soup in each bowl.

1. Pour some heavy cream on top. Note: You can use coconut cream, Mexican Crema, Creme Fraiche, or your favorite non-dairy cream.
2. Garnish with bit of chopped cilantro and a few extra bell peppers.

Pro Recipe Tips

• Time-Saving Tip: To save time, you can purchase butternut squash at the grocery store that has already been peeled and cubed.
• Roast Butternut Squash: To add an even more earthy flavor to the soup, if you have time, you can oven roast the butternut squash before adding to the Instant Pot.
• Homemade Vegetable Stock. To add even more flavor, if you make your own vegetable stock with scraps from vegetables, it makes an extremely flavorful broth.

Variations of Butternut Squash Soup

• Vegan. To keep this Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup Vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and your favorite non-dairy cream, such as whole fat coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk.
• No Bell Peppers. If you would like a straight Butternut Squash Soup, then just skip the step with the bell peppers to leave those out of the soup.
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. To add that wonderful earthy flavor of roasted butternut squash, just roast peeled, cubed butternut squash with oil, salt and pepper in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes. You could also cook sliced onions and sliced bell peppers with the butternut squash for even more of that roasted flavor goodness.

What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup

I like to serve this Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup with a nice rustic, crusty bread and a salad. I think you will like the Focaccia bread and the fresh salads below.

• Focaccia Bread. Asiago Cheese Focaccia Bread is an Italian bread topped with fresh herbs that goes perfectly with soup and salad.
• Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad. A Mixed Green Spinach Salad with Green Apples, Dried Cranberries, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola Cheese. 
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, with apples, pomegranates, parmesan, and pecans, is drizzled with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette, is crunchy and delicious.
• Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. A spinach salad with fresh baby spinach, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, onions, and bacon, drizzled with a hot bacon dressing!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: Can I Make This Soup Ahead of Time?

Answer: Absolutely. This is a soup that I like to make ahead of time because it allows the flavors to more fully develop. Of course, the soup is so good that you may not want to wait! Just cover and refrigerate the soup under you are ready to serve.

Question: Can I Make This Butternut Squash Soup On The Stove?

Answer: Yes! Place a dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Add oil, and when hot add onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the ginger and garlic and stir for about a minute. Then add all the ingredients, except the cream and garnishes, and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes until the butternut squash is softened. Then add cream and use an immersion blender to make it smooth and creamy.

Question: How Do I Store Leftover Butternut Squash Soup?

Answer: Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or until you are ready to serve.

Question: Can I Freeze Butternut Squash Bell Pepper Soup?

Answer: Yes. You can freeze this soup. Transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months.

Question: How To Reheat The Soup

Answer: Transfer the soup from the freezer to the refrigerator, if frozen, to allow the soup to thaw while in the refrigerator. Then you can transfer to a pot and heat up on the stove, or pour it into the Instant Pot to pressure cook for about 3 minutes, and release pressure naturally.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Chipotle Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Pumpkin Chipotle Vegetarian Chili
• Instant Pot Corn Chowder

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