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Fall is in the air!
And if you live in Minnesota, so is winter… That means it’s time for all things cozy, and one of my favorite cold weather meals is soup. This one made with butternut squash brings together the comforting flavors of the season and is ready in under 30 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot.
It’s cozy, delicious, and hearty thanks to the squash, sage, coconut milk, and a secret ingredient: TOFU! (Don’t worry Dad, I promise you can’t taste it. Kidding, he would never eat this because he doesn’t like squash 🙂 ) The tofu adds a nice creamy texture as well as some plant-based protein to make this a filling dish – perfect for those long winter nights.
I also love that since this recipe uses an entire butternut squash, it makes a huge batch that you can use for meal prep throughout the week or freeze for easy weeknight dinners. I’m a cook it once and eat off of it for a week kind of gal. Let’s get to it!
(Not So) Pro Tips
This butternut squash soup is great because it’s a super simple and ready in under 30 minutes kind of recipe. I cubed a whole butternut squash, but if you want to speed up the process even more, I recommend buying pre-cut squash (which most grocery stores now carry).
Another note on cutting up butternut squash – I happened to discover that it’s more treacherous than previously thought! Not only does it take a good knife, but you may also want to wear gloves. Some people (aka me) react to a compound released when cutting butternut squash that causes your skin to turn orange, get super dry, and peel off… I made Colin look it up for me and apparently butternut squash dermatitis is a real thing! The good news is that it only lasts for about a day, but I definitely recommend wearing gloves or buying pre-cut if you’ve had this issue in the past.
Ok, back to the soup 🙂
You’re going to add the squash, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and sprig of sage to the Instant Pot with some low-sodium vegetable broth. Set that baby to Manual – High Pressure for 5 minutes and let it do its thing. If you’re using a food processor, I recommend puréeing the tofu at this point until it’s nice and smooth – adding a little extra veggie broth or coconut milk can help this process. If you’re using an immersion blender, you can wait until the squash has finished cooking and toss it right in and blend everything all at once.
Once the butternut squash has cooked, go ahead and use high pressure release. The squash be fully cooked and easily stabbed with a fork.
Now for the fun part!
Next, remove the sprig of sage and discard. Using an immersion blender or food processor (these are my two favorite kitchen tools and they’re both great deals on Amazon right now), purée the cooked squash mixture until it’s nice and smooth. If you haven’t puréed the tofu, go ahead and do it now, or add the tofu purée you prepped while everything was cooking into the squash mixture. You may need to do this in a couple of steps if you had a large squash or have a small food processor, but keep going until you get a nice creamy texture. I did it in a few batches and added it all back to the Instant Pot for a final stir to combine.
Once everything has been blended and is back in the Instant Pot, go ahead and add the coconut milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Give it a good stir and add more salt/pepper or other spices until it tastes just the way you like it! This is a pretty thick soup, but you can thin it out a bit with extra vegetable broth or coconut milk if you prefer.
This butternut squash soup can be served right away, stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen in a large container or individual portions. I love to garnish with some fresh sage, extra coconut milk, and a sprinkle of chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds. Yum!
A note on nutrition…
Butternut squash is a very good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and manganese. It’s also a good source of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, B6, folate, calcium, and magnesium. Basically all the things our body needs to work optimally and fight off illness – perfect for cold and flu season!
I really love the addition of tofu to this dish since it ups the protein a bit, making this a more satisfying meal that will keep you full of energy throughout the day or settle you in for a nice evening at home. And if you’re not a fan of the idea of tofu or have a soy allergy, feel free to leave it out – the soup will still be delicious and I promise I won’t be offended.
What’s your favorite way to eat butternut squash?
I like mine roasted with some herbs and maple syrup as a side or added to salads. I’d love to hear how you eat it, or if you’re planning on trying it for the first time! If you make this recipe, tell me ALL about it here.
Mindfully yours,
Sam
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
cups
|
- 1 whole butternut squash Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
- 1 whole white onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Ingredients
|
|
- Peel and cube the butternut squash. Peel and cut the onion into quarters. Peel the garlic.
- Add butternut squash, onion, garlic cloves, sage, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- While the butternut squash mixture cooks, open and drain the tofu. Break the tofu into pieces and add to a food processor. (Note: If using an immersion blender, add the tofu directly to the Instant Pot once the squash is done cooking.)
- After the time is up, quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot. Lift the lid, and remove the sprig of sage.
- Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend the butternut squash mixture until it is pureed. (Note: If using a food processor, you may need to break this up into a couple of batches.)
- Once the tofu and squash have been blended and combined, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with a drizzle of coconut milk, sage, and chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
I prefer to use full fat coconut milk for this recipe, but feel free to substitute lite coconut milk if you prefer.
If you really enjoy coconut flavor, this soup is also great if you use the full can of milk 🙂
This recipe makes a VERY large batch, but it keeps in the fridge for up to a week (perfect for meal prep!) and freezes well. I recommend separating it into individual containers/baggies for easy weeknight dinners.
