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I first had Panera’s autumn harvest butternut squash soup a couple years ago.
I was immediately hooked. How did I know such a soup existed until recently?!
Probably because I rarely go to Panera and when I do go, it’s probably not when they have this soup.
Since this is seasonal, I get so sad when I realize it’s no longer there.
Saddest day ever!
I don’t get any other soup there except this soup so it’s pretty much the end of the world for me when I can no longer get it.
Which is PRECISELY why I have created this Instant Pot version of the autumn harvest butternut squash soup.
YOU CAN HAVE IT YEAR-ROUND!
Whenever you crave it!
What is the texture of this soup?
It’s soooo smooth, creamy, and velvety. It’s kind of weird to describe soup that way but it truly is.
There are no chunks in this, as you blend it to smooth perfection.
Is this soup sweet?
Yes, but it’s naturally sweet. It’s literally as if you’re biting into a sweet fruit.
It’s also a bit spicy because of the curry powder.
What do you need to make this butternut squash soup?
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- Immersion blender or blender
- Butternut squash
- Pumpkin puree
- Apple juice
- Cream cheese
Can you freeze this?
Actually, yes! It freezes really well.
I did this recently when we went to Ireland and when we came home, I just put it on the stovetop to warm up and defrost.
To get it out of the container, I’d run it under hot water to loosen it up a bit to pour into the pot.
Can you make this in the slow cooker?
Yep, you could! The Instant Pot just makes it so much quicker.
25 mins vs. 2-3 hours.
I haven’t actually done it in the slow cooker but I imagine it’d take a bit for the butternut squash to break down so my estimate is high for 1-2 hours and low for 2-3 hours.
Then you just do all the rest of the steps the same.
What to serve with butternut squash soup?
We served it with crusty bread and roasted up some seasonal vegetables.
You can even pretend you’re at Panera and go buy a bread bowl somewhere and ladle this soup into it!
If you’re looking for more soup ideas, here are some worth checking out:
- Instant Pot Sausage and Herbed White Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Mushroom and Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy White Bean and Bacon Soup
- Harvest Corn and Pumpkin Chowder
- Lentil and Spicy Sausage Stew
- Beef Barley Soup
You can pin this image below to save the recipe for later!
Instant Pot Autumn Harvest Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 5 cups (700 g) cubed butternut squash, (about 2 inch cubes)
- 2 cups (473 ml) apple juice, (not concentrate)
- 1 cup (237 ml) vegetable stock
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- 4 ounces (113 g) plain cream cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the butternut squash, apple juice, and vegetable stock into the insert of your slow cooker.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and make sure that the vent is set to sealing. On the front of your Instant Pot, press Manual then if it's not on high pressure, switch it to high pressure. Then tick up the time to 25 minutes.
- Once it is done cooking, do a quick release. Carefully remove the lid and using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth.
- Add in the pumpkin, curry powder, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend again until smooth.
- Divide into bowls and serve.
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Denise R
Saturday 6th of November 2021
I LOVE this soup from Panera and get sad too when it’s gone. If cream cheese is in it really I don’t want to know 🤣 do you think adding heavy cream instead will be ok?
Julie Chiou
Sunday 7th of November 2021
heavy cream should be okay! you might not get the soup as thick and creamy but heavy cream will still work in this recipe.
Tammy
Sunday 8th of November 2020
Sorry, but this tastes nothing like Panera’s squash soup. It doesn’t taste bad, but not at all what I was hoping for. Big disappointment.
Samanthia Hall
Wednesday 21st of October 2020
I had made my maiden voyage to Panneram While there I tried their Harvest Squash Soup.. It was delicious. When I got home I started looking for a recipe. This is the one I tried. It is very good. My family said ' It isn't quite the same it is BETTER!!'.
Mary
Monday 6th of January 2020
Do you use the immersion blender right in the inner pot or do you pour the soup out of the pot and then put in a bowl? I don't want to damage the pot. Also, I bought a ceramic inner pot. Is it okay to use the immersion blender in that? Thanks!
Julie Wampler
Tuesday 7th of January 2020
i put mine right into the pot..should be fine for ceramic. the blade doesn't actually scrape the bottom of the pot
Samanthia Hall
Wednesday 27th of November 2019
I made this soup for a church potluck. It was a hit. My granddaughter did confess that she added a little Splenda, to enhance the sweet flavor. Overall, I highly recommend this recipe.