Stove Top or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme

12/13/17

A velvety butternut squash soup, with the natural sweetness of the squash balanced by the savory addition of sage and thyme.

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Butternut squash soup with sage and thyme that you can make on the stove or in your Instant Pot is just the comfort food you need for cold winter days. This healthy butternut squash soup recipe is packed with vegetable goodness, is naturally gluten-free and paleo, can be made vegan, and is a soul-warming addition to your Whole 30 menu plan. Your new favorite soup recipe will be this Stove Top or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme.

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

When I originally wrote this post back in 2015, we had just experienced Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast.

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Although my family and friends got through the storm safely, with only minimal losses (other than a loss of power, some for up to a week and a half), many of the places that I know and love have been devastated.  At my house, we had a few small branches in the yard, and only lost power for about 40 hours.  In that short time, we were able to use our small generator to keep our fridge and freezer cold enough, and our fireplace to keep us warm enough.  I cannot tell you how thankful I am.

I made this soup for dinner the Friday before Sandy hit, and set aside the leftovers to photograph during the daylight hours.  I even hoarded some of the prosciutto I had crisped up so that The Hubby wouldn’t polish it off before I could pretty up the soup for photos.  We had a dinner-dance to go to on Saturday, and I was very, very busy getting a manicure and pedicure and getting ready during the time of day with the best lighting.  Sunday we were in full on storm-prep mode, and the wind and rain began to pick up.  That night, around 8:30 pm, we lost power.

By the next morning, we were hearing reports of it potentially taking days or weeks to get power back.  It was still dreary outside, and we could see fairly large trees down through our neighborhood.  Now, obviously this was super-low priority, and not nearly as bad as what many other people were going through, but I did not know when we would have bright skies, electricity, or an internet signal back.  So I had no idea when I might have a chance to photograph or blog about the soup.  And it was now lunchtime on Monday.  And I was hungry.  And we have a gas stove.  And, although we had a generator to keep the fridge going periodically, I did not want to make more food and have more leftovers to store, in case this went on for days.  Soooo…

I ATE THE SOUP!  And the prosciutto.

24 hours later, the lights came back on.  I could not have been happier!  Then I started watching some of the footage on television.  Oh my goodness, take the toppled trees we saw in my neighborhood, and multiply that by eleventy-billion.  To see the devastation was heart-wrenching.  Words cannot express it.  We are so lucky and blessed that we did not have to deal with a fraction of that!

Because we were one of the quickest to have power restored, we were able to provide a place for family and friends to relax, stay warm, eat a good meal, take a hot shower, do laundry, and even a place for my grandpa to sleep for a couple nights.  And eventually, I was also able to REMAKE THE SOUP!!!  I was totally not devastated to be eating it again.  By the time I finished the leftovers, I had eaten the soup, oh, only about 4 or 5 times in the span of two weeks.  But I loved every bite of Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme so much that I’ve made it countless times in the years since…

While I don’t think I’ve met a butternut squash soup I didn’t like, I especially love this Stove Top or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme.

What I loved about this one was the use of more savory spices, versus the “sweeter” ones, like cinnamon or ginger, that you often find paired with butternut squash soup. Even when I make a slightly sweeter butternut squash soup, I like to balance it with something savory, like in this Apple Cider Cheddar Cheese Butternut Squash Soup and this Thai Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup.

The earthiness of the sage and thyme balanced the natural sweetness of the butternut squash, enhanced it, almost.  The texture was velvety, so a garnish of crispy prosciutto and pepitas added a salty crunch that was the perfect contrast.  Oh, and it looks pretty, too.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme recipe tips…

• This is a one-pot soup recipe, though unless you have an immersion blender, you will need to transfer it to a blender to puree it.
• More recently I decided to make it in my Instant Pot, and it worked perfectly. I’ve done it in the slow cooker before, but I really like to saute the squash with the aromatics, and don’t always want to dirty a pan before I then dirty my slow cooker. So the Instant Pot was the perfect option since you can saute everything right in the pressure cooker, then add the broth, seal it, and let it cook. If you have an immersion blender, you can even puree it right in the Instant Pot.
• The original version of this recipe used chicken broth. As garnish, crispy prosciutto, pumpkin seeds added texture, and a drizzle of Greek yogurt adds just that touch of creamy tartness if you like.
• For a vegetarian or vegan butternut squash soup, you can use vegetable broth and leave off the crispy prosciutto. Coconut cream is a dairy free alternative to the Greek yogurt that would be delicious.
• For a paleo butternut squash soup that is Whole 30 friendly, be sure to find compliant bone broth and either leave off the yogurt or use coconut cream.

Here’s a few options for making this butternut squash soup recipe…

The Hubby always claims he doesn’t like soup, and yet nearly every time I make a soup, he says, “Well, you know I am not a big fan of soup, but this is good.”  This soup actually got one of his most emphatic reactions – he raved about the flavor, the texture, and the thickness, and thought the crunchy creamy salty garnishes finished it off perfectly.

Brilliant!

If you want some more butternut goodness after you’ve made this butternut squash soup with sage and thyme, try these…

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• Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
• Butternut Squash Gratin with Sage Pesto and Gorgonzola
• Browned Butter Whipped Butternut Squash
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

Now that I’ve made this soup in my Instant Pot, I want to try making more. This 10 Minute Baked Potato Soup from Living Locurto would be a great place to start. Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato from Cookin’ Canuck looks hearty and delicious. And it’s a classic made quickly with this Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from Pressure Cooking Today.

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Stove Top or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with Sage and Thyme

A velvety butternut squash soup, with the natural sweetness of the squash balanced by the savory addition of sage and thyme. It is so versatile because you can make it on the stove or in your pressure cooker depending on how much time you have. Plus it can be made with chicken broth and toppings of crispy prosciutto and Greek yogurt for a naturally gluten free soup recipe. But a few simple swaps give options to make it vegan, vegetarian, and even Whole 30 compliant. Everyone in the family loves it!

I hope you’ll leave a comment and give it a FIVE STAR rating or share a photo on this pin on Pinterest!

Print Recipe

Stove Top or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme

A velvety butternut squash soup, with the natural sweetness of the squash balanced by the savory addition of sage and thyme.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash recipes, butternut squash soup, gluten free soups, healthy soup recipes, instant pot soup recipes, vegetarian

Servings: 4

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
• salt & pepper
• Optional garnishes: Crispy prosciutto or bacon pepitas (pumpkin seeds), Greek yogurt/sour cream

Instructions

Stove Top Directions:

• In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the squash, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion and squash are starting to get tender.
• Add the sage and thyme, and saute for another minute or two.
• Add the broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
• Puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor.
• Return soup to the pot, and heat it through.
• Serve in bowls, garnished as desired.

Instant Pot Directions:

• Set the Instant Pot to the saute setting, add the oil, and heat until shimmering.
• Add the squash, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion and squash are starting to get tender.
• Add the sage and thyme, and saute for another minute or two.
• Add the broth, close the lid and set vent to "Sealing". Then set to "Manual" mode and adjust the time to 10 minutes.
• When the timer is up, use the Quick Release method to release the pressure.
• Puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. If needed, return soup to the Instant Pot, and heat it through on the "Saute" setting or use the "Keep Warm" setting to keep it warm until ready to serve.
• Serve in bowls, garnished as desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 176mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2.8% | Vitamin C: 6.2% | Calcium: 2.5% | Iron: 4.2%

Enjoy!

Originally published November 25, 2012

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