Instant Pot Soup Recipes Butternut Squash Chorizo Hot Pot

The Secret to Deep Flavor: Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Busy Nights

Right, let’s be honest. I used to hate weeknight soup. Not the eating of it, obviously I'm not a monster but the making of it. You know that depth, that richness that usually takes two hours of patient simmering?

The one where you’ve got to stand over the pot whispering sweet nothings to the stock? Yeah, that flavour.

As a working cook, I simply don’t have time for that level of romance on a Tuesday. I used to rely on pre and made stocks or just settle for something thin and frankly, sad. Then, the Instant Pot arrived.

And suddenly, Instant Pot soup recipes stopped being a compromise and started being a legitimate culinary hack. Seriously, the pressure cooking environment forces the flavours of your aromatics (onions, garlic, herbs) and star ingredients (squash, meat, beans) to fuse in a way that truly mimics hours of simmering.

It’s brilliant. If you want easy, healthy Instant Pot soup, you need to understand this magic. Forget sad, watery meals. We are going deep, dark, and rich, and we are doing it in 40 minutes flat.

Why Butternut and Chorizo Are a Match Made in Pressure Cooking Heaven

When I first started playing around with hearty Instant Pot soup recipes, I realised the key was to find pairings that were strong enough to withstand intense pressure and contribute complex layers immediately. Butternut squash is sweet and earthy; it needs a punchy partner. Chorizo? That’s the punch.

Achieving Slow and Cooked Depth in Under 40 Minutes

The main trick here and this applies to all pressure cooker soup recipes, whether you’re making Instant Pot soup recipes with frozen chicken or a pure vegetable broth is the initial searing. See, most people treat the Instant Pot like a slow cooker; they just chuck everything in cold. Big mistake.

Huge.

If you don’t build a proper foundation using the Sauté function, the soup will taste thin, no matter how long it cooks under pressure. We need to caramelize the onions and garlic, and crucially, we need to melt down that gorgeous red fat from the chorizo.

That rendered fat becomes the literal base layer of flavour. When the pressure kicks in, that deep base distributes through the entire liquid. No slow simmering needed.

The Role of Chorizo in Elevating Simple Squash

Chorizo isn't just spicy pork; it’s spice, fat, smoke, and paprika all rolled into one beautiful red package. When you cut it up and sauté it, that rendered fat is basically liquid gold.

The high heat extraction process inside the pressure cooker means the smokiness and heat penetrate the neutral squash cubes entirely, instead of just coating the surface.

CRUCIAL TIP: Use a good quality, dried Spanish chorizo, not the soft Mexican variety, for this recipe. You want the deep, cured flavour and firm texture to stand up to the pressure.

Beyond the Broth: What Makes This Recipe Essential Autumn Comfort

This soup is more than just squash and sausage. It hits all the notes: the sweet squash, the salty, smoky chorizo, and that final, bright kick of lemon juice and crispy sage. Honestly, the crispy sage garnish is non and negotiable.

It adds this delicate, fragrant crunch that elevates the entire dish from "Tuesday dinner" to "I might serve this to guests." It's incredibly grounding, like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket after being outside on a chilly day. Pure autumn comfort, bottled.

Gathering Your Gear: Essential Ingredients and Instant Pot Setup

I always laugh when food bloggers make a simple dish seem like it requires a full science lab. It doesn’t. You need your Instant Pot (obviously, I use a 6 quart; it's the standard size), a knife, and one tool that is absolutely necessary for creamy Instant Pot soup recipes: a blender.

Prepping the Harvest: Getting Started with Squash and Spices

Look, peeling a butternut squash is a workout. I’m not going to lie. If you want to skip that arm day, buy the pre and chopped stuff. If you’re doing it yourself, use a good peeler, slice the bulb end off, scoop the seeds, and cut it into roughly one and inch chunks.

They don't need to be perfect, because the pressure cooker is going to turn them to mush anyway (in the best possible way).

Selecting the Best Chorizo for Maximum Smoke and Spice

As mentioned, go Spanish. Look for the kind that hangs by the deli counter. If you can only find a mildly spicy one, you can boost the heat with a pinch of cayenne pepper added alongside the smoked paprika.

The smoked paprika (make sure it’s smoked , not plain) is there to reinforce the chorizo's depth.

A Note on Stock: Broth vs. Bone Broth Depth

I am an advocate for bone broth in pressure cooker soup recipes whenever possible. Why? It's thick, rich, and full of gelatin. That gelatin contributes body and mouthfeel to the final soup, meaning you can achieve that luxurious creaminess without adding a ton of actual heavy cream.

If you use standard, store and bought vegetable broth, it will still work perfectly well, but you might need a little extra cream at the end to nail that velvety texture.

Tools of the Trade: Immersion Blender vs. Standard Blender

This is where the argument starts.

Tool	Pros	Cons
Immersion Blender	No transferring; quick, less cleanup.	Can sometimes leave small chunks.
Standard Blender	Guaranteed silky smooth texture.	Dangerous! Handling hot liquid batches.

Personally, I use the immersion blender 95% of the time. It’s a lot less messy. Just tilt the Instant Pot and blend until you see zero lumps. If you use a regular blender, please, please, please cover the lid with a folded towel and only fill it halfway.

Hot soup explosions are real, and they are painful.

The Crispy Sage Garnish: Simple Steps to Flavor Explosion

This is the cherry on top. Heat a little olive oil until it shimmers (not smokes!). Toss in a dozen fresh sage leaves. They will go crisp in about thirty seconds. Lift them out, salt them lightly, and set them aside. Done. You now have a fragrant, crunchy element that screams sophistication.

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Step and by-Step Masterclass: Transforming Ingredients into Velvety Soup

Let's crack on with the cooking. I’m giving you the exact method that guarantees flavour depth and zero dreaded ‘Burn’ warnings.

Pressure Cooker Precision: Sealing the Deal on Flavor

Sautéing the Foundation: Browning Chorizo and Aromatics

First step: Sauté. Hit that button and wait for the "Hot" indicator. Add the diced chorizo. You're not cooking it; you're extracting the oil. Once it's sizzled and given up its bright red fat, remove the chorizo pieces (we want them crispy later, not soggy in the soup) and leave the fat behind.

That fat is your building block. Now sauté the onions until soft, then the garlic and smoked paprika. Stir continuously. This only takes about four minutes total, but it’s the most important four minutes of the whole process.

The Quick Release Question: Ensuring Perfect Texture Post and Cook

After the 8 minute cook time is up, you need to let the pressure Natural Release for 5 minutes. Don’t skip this. Why? If you quick release immediately, the temperature drop is so severe that the liquid will bubble violently, potentially splattering soup everywhere, and the starch from the squash might separate slightly.

Five minutes of NPR (Natural Pressure Release) allows the temperature to stabilize, resulting in a much silkier final product. After five minutes, you flip the vent to release the rest of the pressure.

Blending for Ultimate Creaminess (No Cream Needed)

Open the lid, look at that glorious mush. It should smell intensely smoky. Now blend it smooth. If you used bone broth and good squash, you likely don't need any cream, but a little swirl of double cream (heavy cream) or full and fat coconut milk never hurt anyone.

Final Touches: Seasoning Adjustments and Serving Presentation

This is the moment of truth. Add the lemon juice. Taste it. It should transform the flavour, making it brighter and less heavy. Now, season with salt and pepper. Remember that the amount of salt needed depends entirely on how salty your stock and chorizo were to begin with. Start small, taste, and add until it sings.

Troubleshooting and Enhancing Your Instant Pot Soup Recipes

I have messed up a lot of Instant Pot soup recipes over the years. My biggest mistake was usually under and seasoning at the end because I assumed the pressure cooking would do all the work. It won’t.

It’s like baking a cake the cooking does the structure, but the frosting does the flavour.

• Problem: The soup tastes flat or boring.
  • Fix: Add acid (lemon juice or a splash of vinegar). Add salt. Seriously, just keep adding small amounts until it tastes right.
• Problem: I got a "Burn" error.
  • Fix: Next time, make absolutely sure you deglazed the pot after sautéing, scraping every single browned bit off the bottom. If you get the error mid and cook, turn off the machine, release the pressure, scoop out the top liquid, stir the bottom to loosen, add a tiny bit more stock, and restart the cooking time.
• Problem: The soup is too thick.
  • Fix: Stir in a little more hot stock or water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Customizing Your Comfort: Flavor Swaps and Dietary Variations

Part of the joy of cooking is making it your own, right? This base recipe is incredibly forgiving.

Making it Vegetarian: Substituting Smoked Paprika for Chorizo

This is easy to convert into fantastic Instant Pot soup recipes vegetarian style. Simply omit the chorizo and use 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter for the initial sauté.

When you add the garlic, boost the flavour with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and, if you dare, a tiny pinch of cayenne or a dollop of chipotle paste. You still get that deep, smoky heat without the meat. Use vegetable or mushroom stock, naturally. For extra heartiness, throw in a cup of rinsed chickpeas.

Freezing the Soup: Best Practices for Long and Term Storage

This soup freezes beautifully. Wait until it’s completely cool, then pour it into freezer and safe containers or large Ziploc bags (lay them flat on a baking sheet until frozen to save space). It keeps well for up to three months.

The only thing to note is that if you added dairy cream, it might separate slightly upon reheating. If it does, don’t panic. Just give it a vigorous whisk while heating, or run the immersion blender through it quickly again, and it will smooth right out.

Instant Pot vs. Stovetop: Adjusting Cook Times for Traditional Methods

Can you make this on the stovetop? Sure, but it loses its weeknight quickness. You would perform the same steps (sauté the chorizo, deglaze the pot), but after adding the stock and squash, you would need to simmer the mixture, covered, for at least 45 to 60 minutes, or until the squash is tender enough to easily mash.

The Instant Pot shaves off almost an hour of waiting time.

Quick Pairings: What to Serve Alongside This Rich, Warming Dish

Because this soup is incredibly hearty and rich thanks to the squash and chorizo fat, you don't need much else. I usually go for something crunchy and fresh to balance the deep flavours.

1. Grilled Cheese Dippers: Not just any grilled cheese. Make them fancy, maybe with gruyère and some grainy mustard. Cut them into sticks for dipping.
2. A Simple Slaw: A crunchy cabbage slaw dressed with a sharp vinegar dressing (cider vinegar works well) cuts through the richness beautifully.
3. Arugula Salad: Just a handful of peppery arugula dressed with olive oil and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese. Minimal effort, maximum impact.

Recipe FAQs

I’m always terrified of the ‘Burn’ message on my Instant Pot how do I avoid that with this soup?

The usual culprit is those lovely sticky bits left over after sautéing; the key is proper deglazing make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly with a wooden spoon after adding the initial splash of stock to lift every last particle.

Right, the recipe calls for blending. What if I like my soup a bit chunkier and less like a velvety posh purée?

You’re in luck! Simply blend only about two-thirds of the soup for a rustic, hearty feel, leaving some of the cooked squash and onions whole, or briefly pulse with the immersion blender to achieve a slightly chunky texture.

This looks smashing, but can I make these Instant Pot Soup Recipes suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

Absolutely; skip the chorizo and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock, replicating the smoky flavour by adding 1 tsp of Liquid Smoke or 1 Tbsp of chipotle paste during the initial sauté instead.

Peeling the butternut squash is a proper chore! Are there any helpful shortcuts or substitution advice?

If the peeling is too much faff, you can buy pre-chopped, frozen butternut squash (which works perfectly here), or pierce the whole squash and microwave it for 3-4 minutes to soften the skin before attempting to peel it.

How long does this soup keep, and is it a good freezer candidate for batch cooking?

This soup is brilliant for future dinners; it keeps well in the fridge for up to five days, and freezes splendidly for three months just hold off on adding the double cream until serving if you plan on freezing it.