Sometimes Using up Your Fridge Contents Results in a Scrumptious Soup

An Instant Pot is handy for cooking up soup. Kary Osmond

I’m in the process of getting ready to put my house up for sale, which means I’m trying to bring less stuff into the house and use up what I have. This includes the food in the fridge, and right now I have a butternut squash, a few onions, carrots, potatoes, and some garlic—all the ingredients to make a tasty soup.

I’m using my Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) to make this soup so I don’t need to babysit it while it simmers away. All the ingredients go in for a quick sauté and then it’s locked and loaded until the buzzer goes off. If you have a hand blender, you can blend the soup right in the pot; if not, transfer the soup in batches and blend in a food processor or blender.

Herbed Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 4

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Lemon juice

Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and add oil and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add butternut squash, carrot, potato, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano and stir to combine.