Mexican Butternut Squash Soup with New Mexico or Ancho Chiles

New Mexico or Ancho Chiles add tremendous flavor to this rich, and warm bowl of Mexican Butternut Squash Soup, made easily in the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Has it cooled down where you are? After all, it is September. If I was in my home state of Minnesota, we’d be wearing pants, probably even jackets and getting ready for the first winter snow.

But I’m not there – here in Phoenix it’s still pretty hot … we’re still in the 105-108 degree range, so we’ve got quite a while before we can enjoy the crisp, cool nights that are traditional in most areas of the U.S. once September rolls around.

We can pretend it’s cool though – right?  And what better way to pretend than with a warm, comforting bowl of Mexican Butternut Squash Soup?

I’ve been craving a rich and spicy bowl of butternut squash now for a few weeks – I just couldn’t imagine making it in August. I mean, it’s not yet officially fall... but yet butternut squash soup in August almost seems too wrong.

But alas, I grabbed butternut squash last week at our farmers market and thought this was the perfect way to use it. Sure.. I could have thrown it in the Instant Pot, since it’s super easy to steam, and make a really great, rich pasta sauce. But this almost seemed too perfect.

It was almost as if it was fate ~ I asked the kids randomly one afternoon what they wanted for dinner and expected to hear a myriad of responses…. but instead I got this:

Soup!

And not just regular soup… but my oldest proclaimed “spicy soup!”

So all in all I think this was a rather great choice. It came together easily with a few simple ingredients – what could be better?  It cooked up easily in the Instant Pot – and then a quick puree with our immersion blender and a little seasoning and it was done.

Perfect way to enjoy a nice, big loaf of crusty buttery garlic bread, and enough for leftovers the next day. This soup is:

Rich
Creamy
Spicy
Simple
Healthy
And perfect for cooler weather!

The recipe makes enough for 6, then enough for leftovers should you want to share a jar with neighbors or friends, or even keep for yourself for a soup rotation.

Check your Latin market for dried New Mexico chiles – they are the dried version of green chiles (Anaheim, Hatch, etc) – though you can definitely substitute Ancho chiles (the dried version of poblano peppers) for a sweeter, spicier flavor.

Do you have an Instant Pot? If so, bookmark over 100 deliciously yummy Instant Pot recipes – everything from Mexican tamales, to Mole, vegan and vegetarian options, meatless ideas, sides & more.

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Mexican Butternut Squash Soup

New Mexico or Ancho chiles add flavor to this rich and flavorful Mexican butternut squash soup.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 -8

Author Sheryl

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 medium butternut squash peeled and diced into 1" chunks
• 3 medium unpeeled carrots cut into 3" pieces
• 3-4 New Mexico dry chiles lightly toasted, stem and seeds removed
• 4 C. vegetable broth divided
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar can substitute brown sugar 1:1
• 1 tsp salt or more to taste
• optional: toasted pumpkin seeds Mexican crema or sour cream and cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions

• Trim each end off your butternut squash, and peel with a vegetable peeler. Lay horizontally, and cut in half to make two fat pieces. Cut each fat half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds - keep them, clean them and roast in the oven at 350 degrees F for later). Cut the rest into 1" cubes and set aside in a dish.
• On a small skillet, roast your chiles by placing them on medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute each side until they are fragrant. Do not toast too long or they will burn. Once toasted, remove the stem, shake out the seeds.
• In your Instant Pot, add the oil, garlic and onions - saute for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Turn the saute feature off, and add the butternut squash, carrots, garlic, and dry chiles as well as 2 C. of broth. Place the cover on the pot and close the valve.
• Set the pot on manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Once the pot beeps finished, release the pressure, and use your immersion blend the mixture until smooth. The chiles will be darker speckles.
• Add the remaining 2 C. of broth, along with the ginger, turmeric, coconut sugar, and salt - more or less spices to taste. Stir well to combine - if desired, turn on the saute feature to heat until flavors blend, an additional 5-6 minutes.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with optional garnish - pumpkin seeds, crema, and/or cilantro.
• Refrigerate remaining soup in canning jar and enjoy within 4-5 days.

Notes

!To make on the stovetop: saute the garlic and onion with olive oil in your dutch oven until soft (3-4 minutes). Add the butternut squash, carrots, and chiles to the dutch oven along with 2 C. of broth and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until soft. Continue with your immersion blender as noted in the original recipe.

Inspired by this recipe on Serious Eats