1. Add oil to the inside of the Instant Pot, and press the SAUTE button. Add onion, garlic, ginger, carrot and celery. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the ingredients are fragrant.
2. Add squash, apple, and cumin, and sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the broth and cinnamon stick. Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to closed.
4. Press MANUAL mode and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes then naturally release. Or, cook the ingredients for 12 minutes, and use the quick release method.
5. Once the pressure is safely released, remove the cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend the soup.  Or, carefully transfer the soup into a high speed blender (half at a time), and puree the soup until it is creamy.  Transfer the soup back into the Instant Pot, and keep it on WARM mode.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and additional spices- curry, cayenne, pinch of nutmeg.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Keep the pot on WARM mode for 5-10 minutes until the spices have nicely blended with the soup. Taste and adjust if needed.
8. Serve and garnish with fresh thyme and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Stove Top Option:

1. Add oil or butter to a large pot, and heat it on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot, and sauté the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are fragrant.
2. Add the squash, apple, and cumin sautéing for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Next, pour in the broth, and stir the ingredients together.  Place a cinnamon stick in the pot, and cover it with a lid.
4. Cook the soup for 15 minutes on medium-to-medium low heat.
5. Follow the same instructions as the instant pot recipe (starting at transferring to blender) after this step.