About this Recipe

This Butternut squash coconut cream soup is a favorite from Grandmother's Kitchen. It is comfort food at its simplest and finest.

Grandmother's Kitchen Tips for Butternut Squash Coconut Cream Soup:

1. Using the instant pot gives an opportunity for a new approach to preparing meals. We wanted to see what it would be like to take as many shortcuts as possible with this pot of soup so instead of chopping our veggies before cooking, we just washed them all then put them halved or quartered with skins on into the instant pot for the cooking process. It only took about 5 minutes to have everything prepped and into the pot.

2. Many recipes call for spices but we were making this soup without the addition of spices with the hope of creating a nice flavor for those with sensitive palates. We must say, we were very happy with the results. If you want to add spices, things that go well in this soup are curry powder, sage, parsley, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon and cilantro.

3. The hand immersion blender is a simple way to puree food but if you don't have one, you can puree the soup in batches in a food processor or using a blender.

Ingredients

(Print)

Makes 8-10 cups of pureed soup

1 butternut squash - washed on the outside, cut into quarters, seeds removed but you can leave the skin on

1 medium sized white onion, - peel the outer skins off and cut into quarters

2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks

1 apple, washed, cut into quarters, seeds removed but you can leave the skin on

4 small garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chicken soup bouillon (we used 1/2 of a tetra pack and froze the 2nd half)

1 can (400ml) coconut milk -Do Not add until after the soup has cooked.

Directions

1. Wash and prepare all the vegetables.

2. Place all the ingredients except the coconut milk into the instant pot.

3. Close the lid and be sure to set the vent to sealing position. Set to High Pressure for 8 minutes. Cook and let it cool on its own when done, leaving the steam to release naturally.

4. Remove the pot from the instant pot. Using tongs remove the squash to a plate and let it cool a little so you can handle them. Use a sharp little knife to easily peel the outer skin off. Cut into big chunks and put back into the cooking pot. Add the coconut milk to the pot.

5. Using a hand immersion blender whiz to make into a creamy consistency. Do a taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.

6. If you are not serving right away, once cooled to room temperature, transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate. Take out and heat up portions as needed. This soup will stay fresh and delicious up to 5 days if left refrigerated. You can also freeze single size portions for later use.

ENJOY!

Fall season in our area means there are many varieties of squash ready for eating. Squash are part of the early fall crops and many of the farm road side stands are fully decorated with massive displays of colorful pumpkins and squash. There are hubbard and acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash; set out along with ornamental gourds that are ready to take their place decorating dinner tables that will be set for Thanksgiving. The leaves on the trees are turning golden and red. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons with its cooler temperatures and bright blue skies. Squash will keep a fairly long time if kept in a cool place so we buy several from the farmers and tuck them into cold storage for the upcoming winter months ahead.