A large bowl of Pressure Cooker Spiced Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup

Enjoy an easy-to-make and delicious creamy vegan soup in just 5 minutes of cooking time with this Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

Curry flavors, red lentils, butternut squash, and coconut milk come together for a creamy vegan soup in this Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. This soup is healthy, made in just 3 steps, and makes for amazing leftovers.

An up-close shot of pressure cooker spiced butternut squash and red lentil soup.

On their own, I love lentil soup and butternut squash soup. So now with my new pressure cooker on hand, you better bet I couldn't resist making an interpretation of one of them.

And why leave it at interpreting just one of the soups when I could play around with interpreting both?

I mean, really, since when did I even keep things as they are anyways? Life is so much more fun when I'm constantly mixing things up or reconsidering new ways of doing old things.

All the ingredients for Pressure Cooker Spiced Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup.

So, I started with red lentils, as they are more delicate and creamy as they break down, and went from there.

Though I considered sweet potato instead of butternut squash for a hot minute, I landed back on butternut squash as it has a higher liquid content than potatoes and would therefore make a better soup.

From there, I added in broth, coconut milk for creaminess, a handful of my favorite Indian inspired spices, and a bit of salt.

After a quick -- 5-minute!! -- run in the pressure cooker (that is, minus the pressure build-up and quick-release), this spiced red lentil soup was ready for a quick puree and a squeeze of lime juice before it was ready to serve.

Just one scoop into this pressure cooker lentil soup and I immediately was grateful that I brought some old favorites back to the drawing table. After all, some recipe

This Pressure Cooker Spiced Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup is...

Warm & spicy
Gluten-free
Full of veggies and whole grains
Vegan
High in fiber
Filling
Easy to make
Perfect for leftovers

Get a healthy and flavorful soup on the table for dinner tonight in under 30 minutes tonight with this red lentil Instant Pot soup.

An up-close shot of Pressure Cooker Spiced Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup.

Can you use brown lentils instead of red lentils?

I don't recommend substituting in brown lentils instead of red lentils. Red lentils are more delicate and break down to become creamy as they cook, whereas brown lentils are starchier and heavier. Because of this they're often used for different reasons in recipes and don't interchange very well.

Is lentil soup healthy?

Yes, this lentil soup is very healthy. It's easily made vegan (just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth), gluten-free, dairy-free, and processed sugar-free! Not only that, but it's full of fiber, plant-based protein, and veggies. Try this pressure cooker lentil soup out today!

Do lentils need to be rinsed before cooking?

Nope, lentils do not need to be rinsed before cooking. Just sort through them quickly to make sure there aren't any discolored (often green) lentils or little pieces of natural debris and then use the lentils in your recipe!

How long does it take to cook lentils in a pressure cooker?

It doesn't take very long to cook lentils in a pressure cooker, thankfully. Both red and brown lentils can cook in 4-5 minutes at high pressure in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

How to make this spiced red lentil soup:

First: Add all the soup ingredients to the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Lock on the lid and then set it to cook on high for 5 minutes.

Second: quick release the pressure cooker when the lentils have finished cooking. Once the pressure is released, remove the lid. Add 1.5 tablespoons of lime juice to the soup and blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a stand blender.

Third: serve the spiced red lentil soup hot and enjoy!

Other healthy and easy dinner recipes you might enjoy:

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8 servings

Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Name: Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils; 1 1/4 cup white onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces; 4 1/2 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/2" pieces; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon dried ginger; 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander; 3/4 teaspoon dried & ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); 1 14 oz. can coconut milk; 4 medium size garlic cloves, smashed; 3 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock or broth; 1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Enjoy an Instant Pot Soup with this Instant Pot Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. It's healthy, vegan, and cooks up in under 30 minutes!

To make this soup vegan or vegetarian, use vegetable stock or broth instead of chicken broth.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
1 ¼ cup white onion, chopped into ½" pieces
4 ½ cup butternut squash, cut into ½" pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon dried ginger
½ teaspoon dried coriander
¾ teaspoon dried & ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
4 medium size garlic cloves, smashed
3 ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock or broth
1 ½ tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

Add all the ingredients except the lime juice to the bowl of the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
Quick-release the pressure when the soup is done cooking. Then remove the lid and stir in the lime juice.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a stand blender (just make sure to remove the steam vent and cover it with a clean dishcloth if using a stand blender). Puree until creamy and serve the soup hot!

Notes

1. This soup keeps covered in the fridge for 4-5 days or in an airtight freezer-safe container for 2 months.

2. The cayenne pepper gives the recipe even spice to give the recipe a little pep while not being overwhelmingly spicy. If you don't really do spice, though, omit the cayenne from the recipe.

3. You can blend this soup with an immersion blender or in a stand blender. If using the stand blender, make sure to remove the vent from the lid and cover it with a dishcloth while blending.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 234Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 2mgSodium 309mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 8gSugar 7gProtein 8g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.