Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken and Orzo
Creamy Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with orzo and tender chicken is hearty, healthy, and deeply satisfying for a weeknight dinner.
Butternut Squash Soup is a classic fall recipe. But my family isn’t big on traditional puréed soups, so I upgraded this soup to a full meal by adding cubed chicken and orzo pasta.
The result is a filling, fully kid-approved soup recipe that’s perfect for chilly nights!
Update: This is one of our most popular soup recipes. So we’ve updated the post with new tips, photos, and a how-to video so you and your family can enjoy this soup too!
How to Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
This butternut squash soup recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
This soup starts with cooked squash, cooked chicken, and cooked orzo. Then it’s just a simple sauté of the vegetables, add the spices, broth, tomatoes, and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes.
After you release the pressure, blend the soup until smooth, then add the cooked chicken, pasta, and a splash of cream
🗓️ Tip: I looooove this soup most the day AFTER I’ve cooked it. The flavors blend together and it’s absolutely irresistible.
Options for Cooking Your Squash
I really love the flavor of this recipe when the squash is browned before cooking. You can do this either in an oven or in your Instant Pot.
To Oven Roast: Cut the squash in half the long way. Place the halves on a baking sheet with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for about 45 minutes in a 400°F oven. The squash is done when it’s fork-tender and starting to brown and caramelize on the edges.
To Saute: You can also prepare the squash for your soup in your pressure cooker. Cube the butternut squash and brown it using Sauté in a little butter or oil. The squash gets a nice caramelized coating on it this way.
Can I Use Frozen Butternut Squash?
Yes, we make this soup with frozen squash all the time. Many grocery stores sell cubed, ready-to-use butternut squash that is a perfect time-saver for this recipe.
It doesn’t have quite the same flavor as using browned, caramelized squash, but it’s still delicious and so much more convenient on busy nights, as you’ll see in the recipe video.
Options for Cooking Your Chicken
This recipe also calls for cooked, diced chicken. I love grabbing a rotisserie chicken while I’m grocery shopping for this meal.
Or, if I’ve planned ahead, I’ll make grilled chicken earlier in the week and grill up extra to save for this meal.
You can also season the chicken and cook it separately in the Instant Pot. You can even use frozen, raw chicken breasts in your pressure cooker by following this how-to guide.
Kid-Friendly Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
My kids absolutely love this soup! I often use double the amount of orzo in the original recipe when I make the soup for them. They enjoy it for dinner, and it also stays warm in a thermos for a great lunchbox-friendly option.
Freezing Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken
This is a perfect freezer-friendly soup recipe. I almost always make a double batch to freeze for later.
For best results, I recommend freezing the soup and orzo separately. Then combining them together when you’re ready to reheat.
🔥 To reheat, use the pot-in-pot method. Place 1 cup of water and a trivet in the pressure cooker pot. Place the frozen soup in a cake pan on the trivet and select High Pressure and a 10-minute cook time.
When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes then finish with a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid and enjoy your warm soup!
More Favorite Fall Soup Recipes
Soup season is in full swing, so try these other popular Instant Pot soup recipes next:
- Pressure Cooker Ribollita is a classic Italian soup with beans, cheese, and a tomato broth made in minutes.
- Pressure Cooker Curried Carrot Soup is another beautiful puréed vegetable soup you must try this fall.
- Instant Pot Fajita Chicken and Rice Soup from 365 Days of Slow & Pressure Cooking also has the best of all worlds: grains, chicken, and plenty of veggies.
- Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Corn Chicken Chowder is creamy, filling, and slightly sweet from the corn.
- Instant Pot Chunky Sweet Potato Cheese Soup has a decadent, cheesy broth with bright chunks of sweet potato.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds roasted butternut squash peeled and cubed*
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup green onions diced, plus more sliced very thin for garnish
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup carrots diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cans 14.5 ounces, each reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can 14.5 ounces, each diced tomatoes with juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg**
- 1 cup orzo cooked
- 1 cup chicken cooked and diced (I use rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half plus more for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot on the Sauté setting. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until softened. Add the garlic, stir briefly then add the roasted squash, chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Select High Pressure and a 10 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
- When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Use an immersion blender or standing blender to purée the soup until very smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot if necessary and select Saute. Stir in the chicken, orzo, and half and half and heat until the chicken is warmed through.
- Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onions and a swirl of half-and-half.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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My picky husband LOVED this soup, and even my 16yo son (who is meh on soups, typically) liked this. I had a very large squash, so I peeled and cubed it, tossed the cubes with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt, and then roasted them on 405 degrees for about 25 minutes (this way I had some extras for later). While they were roasting I started the rest of the recipe; used my stovetop PC. I used a small regular onion, veggie broth (one whole carton), and threw in part of a tomato that was in the fridge. Cooked for the 10 min. as suggested. Didn’t add any cream at the end, and the results were still creamy and delicious. Will definitely make again. Thanks Barb for the great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your tips Christine. So glad it was a hit.
Is the 1 1/2 lbs of squash measured before or after peeling and cubing?
Hi Deb – before peeling, but it’s not critical – if the squash is a little bigger or smaller squash it still works well.
This sounds good. But we have a dairy allergy. Are there any substitutions that would work well? Maybe coconut milk?
Thanks Stacey! Yes, I think coconut milk would be a delicious substitution.
Is there a stove top or crock pot version?
I made this tonight & it was delicious but my brother wants to give it a try & he does not have an IP
Hi Margaret – glad you enjoyed it! The stovetop version non-pressure cooker version is here https://cityhomecountryhome.blogspot.com/2010/11/savory-butternut-squash-soup.html
My friend whom I badgered to get an Instant Pot introduced me to the easiest way to cook/peel a whole butternut squash (or pumpkin): Pressure cook it! Wash the squash then put it in the PC with 1-2 cups water for 10-11 minutes. Use a quick release & when it’s cool enough to handle, simply cut off the softened rind & dice into squares.
Thanks for sharing Jennifer!
Hi
Are all your pressure cooker recipes freezable?
Cheers
Hi Lynda – most of them freeze very well. I like to freeze in individual servings for quick lunches. I’ve frozen this should often.
Yum! I doubled the recipe, and also added sauteed mushrooms, celery, and carrots after the soup was done cooking. My non-butternut squash-looking family really enjoyed it!
I’m new to pressure cooking, got mine with the masses on Amazon Prime Day 🙂
I will admit I was skeptical about this recipe, as I have never added tomatoes to my b-nut squash soup before – it was amazing! I made it for my son who just had teeth pulled, and left out all the additions since he can’t chew anything – the base recipe itself is absolutely delicious, and I can’t wait to try more! Thanks for being such a great resource for my new addiction 🙂
Thanks Jen! My husband was a little skeptical when I made it the first time, but now it’s one of his favorites too. Hope your son is feeling better soon.
Tasty AND healthy!
This is how I (novice pressure cooker who was busy/lazy today) made it in one pot with no advance prep (raw squash and chicken and uncooked orzo):
Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Cook on high pressure with 1 c water for 5-6 min. Remove and peel.
Melt butter in pressure cooker pot. Sauté onions, celery, and carrots. Add garlic, stir briefly and add chicken breast, chicken stock, tomatoes and squash. Add Italian seasoning, pepper and nutmeg.
Select high pressure and 10 minutes cook time, then use a Quick Pressure Release to release pressure. Remove chicken and shred.
Puree the rest until mixture is very smooth.
Select Simmer and add orzo, boil 8-9 min. Add chicken and milk and heat through
Thanks for sharing your tips Alyssa. Glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this today and it is delicious! I had leftover chicken and some Greek yogurt that I used (as I didn’t have any 1/2 and 1/2). I pureed mine in the food processer which was a bit time consuming – I will have to look for an immersion blender!
Can you freeze some of the leftover soup?
Thanks again Barbara for another great recipe.
P.S. I also made yogurt for the first time and it came out great as well (followed Laura P’s method)
Thanks Sharon! Glad you enjoyed it. So great that you used what you had on hand. An immersion blender really is the perfect companion for the pressure cooker. Yes, I often freeze this soup in individual portions for lunches. I’m looking forward to making yogurt soon.
Is there a way to cook the orzo in the soup so that it doesn’t have to be cooked separately? Yeah, I’m that lazy since getting a PC. THANKS!
Hi Susan – no, you don’t want to cook the orzo in the soup because you puree it so it’s silky smooth and thick and creamy.
You know what? With your son’s suggestions added, I just might get Bob to eat this….he claims he doesn’t like butternut squash because it’s “too sweet”….with the chicken and orzo along with all the other seasonings, I bet I could get him to give it a try. If not? All the more for me! I’ll share with my daughter or my neighbor-or both.
When I see butternut squash in recipes, I think back to the years I’d head to NH after my Dad pulled in his harvest of them from the garden. We’d peel and peel and peel until our hands were yellow and stiff from the sugar in the squash. Batch after batch would get cooked-in 2 stove top pressure cookers at a time, then Mom and I would run it through a ricer to purée it for freezing. What a treat-especially with Thanksgiving dinner. I adore butternut squash, so I know this soup is gonna be a treat.
Hi Carol – what a fun story. Definitely a special treat for Thanksgiving. My husband was skeptical, but he loves it. I think Bob will too.
Delish! I also browned the raw squash for a bit, then added the veggies and spices, then a splash of wine before the rest of the ingredients. What a yummy soup, thanks! 2 great recipes in a row, Barbara!
Thanks Robin! We love this soup. So glad you loved it too. I’ve made it twice in the last month. Another favorite my husband has been asking for is my Chunky Potato soup https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/2012/10/chucky-potato-cheese-soup/
Cutting butternut squash can be difficult. I poke holes in it and stick it in the microwave for maybe 10 minutes, turning over periodically, til it softens. The bowl will cook quicker than the neck, so when that part is done, cut off the neck and put it back in for a few more minutes while you are cooling and cleaning out the seeds.
It’s much, much easier to work with this way. Can be done ahead of time and then trim it when it is cooled.
Hi Robin – luckily my husband usually cuts the squash for me. You’re right it is difficult to cut. Thanks for sharing your technique.
Robin, I do the same! so many squash can be softened this way to make for easier cutting. I tried it with pumpkin and spaghetti squash too.
PS- love that there is someone posting recipes using an electric PC. Thanks so much!
I tried this recipe (mostly) and it was awesome! I set my Cuisinart to “brown” and started with the raw diced butternut squash (in batches) to get some color on it. Removed and set aside. Threw in my onion, then celery and carrots for a little bit. Didn’t have Italian seasoning so improvised with basil and oregano. Added minced garlic, fresh grated nutmeg and red pepper flakes. And because I’m always looking for an excuse to open a bottle of wine I added some Sauvignon Blanc and reduced it before adding the tomatoes, putting the browned squash back in, tomatoes and chicken stock. High pressure for 10 minutes then took it off “keep warm” and let it natural release for 10 minutes. Quick opened after that. Didn’t have any half and half on hand so I used plain Greek yogurt (put in separate bowl and used some of the now pureed soup to temper it before adding it to the soup). Had leftover turkey and rice to get it some texture (otherwise the hubby wouldn’t approve). He and I both LOVED the outcome! Thanks for posting this soup. Will definitely be making again and again!
Thanks for the update Andrea. I love that you just improvised with what you had. So glad you loved the soup as much as we do. There really are a lack of recipes on the net for electric PC. If you have a recipe you’d like to share on PCT, I’d love to have you share it.
Here’s a tip on how to easily cut and peel winter squash: http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/openGraph/wid/1_adyebrry
Sooo perfect for fall!! I can’t wait to start making soups. I’m going to try this one! :>)
I remember having this and it was SOOO yummy! saving this one to make soon.
One thing I learned about my CPC-600, for natural release you have to shut the unit off. Otherwise the “keep warm” feature will cause it to take forever to release its pressure. Also, most stovetop PCs release their pressure after about ten minutes, so I allow ten minutes on my electric then I release the rest of the pressure. I consider this the electric verion of a natural release. 🙂
Question, if after sauteeing your aromatics you added the squash and allowed it to saute for a little while, maybe that would add some nice color/flavor without having to bake it first?
I’m going to try this next week. Sounds delicious!
Thanks for the recipe.
Andrea
Hi Andrea – thanks for sharing your tips! I may start using your “electronic version of a natural release” on many of my recipes. Sauteing the squash is a great idea too.
This recipe looks great but it calls for baked squash. I would rather not have that extra step. Doesn’t the cubed squash cook enough in the 10 minutes plus release time without having the added step of baking it? Seems like it should. Does the baking add flavor or what is that step for?
I will be making this soup. I love soup!
Hi Gayle – I’ve made it without baking the squash and I think it’s a little less flavorful, but it’s delicious either way. Please let me know how you like it.