Acorn Squash Soup
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Roasted acorn squash is pureed with carrots, maple syrup, herbs and spices in this easy and flavorful recipe for Acorn Squash Soup! This recipe is comforting and creamy, while also healthy, gluten free and vegan.
This acorn squash soup recipe is perfect for the fall and winter months. It’s warm and comforting, flavorful and loaded with vitamins! One serving of the soup contains 95% of your daily Vitamin A needs and 35% of your daily Vitamin C needs. A great way to fend off colds in the winter months is by getting plenty of vitamins, and this soup is here to help!
In addition to being healthy, this soup is also gluten free and dairy free, making it perfect for anyone with special dietary needs. It can be served in a cup before a meal, like Thanksgiving, or served in a bowl for dinner, with a baguette on the side for dipping. Turn it into a delicious soup and salad meal, by serving it with this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, a tasty way to double up on winter squash!
This soup is easy to make in under an hour and sure to be your new favorite fall soup recipe!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Acorn squash – most acorn squash weigh between 1 1/2 – 2 pounds. For this recipe, you’ll need 3-4 pounds of squash, so approximately 2 average-sized squash. Use the scales at the grocery store when picking out your acorn squash to be sure you get the right amount of squash for the recipe.
- Olive oil
- Salt + black pepper – to season the squash before roasting, and to season the soup.
- Carrots
- Onion – I recommend a yellow onion for this recipe.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is preferred for the best flavor.
- Dried thyme – if using fresh thyme leaves, double the amount of the dried thyme.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth can also be used if you’re not vegan or vegetarian.
- Maple syrup – honey can also be used to sweeten the soup.
Instructions
- Start by roasting the acorn squash. Cut the acorn squash in half from root to tip. Scoop out the seeds with a fork, then brush the flesh of the acorn squash with olive oil. Season the squash with salt and pepper, then place the squash, cut side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast at 400°F for 35 minutes.
- Saute the veggies. While the squash is roasting, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add diced carrots and onions. The carrots and onions should be diced small and evenly, so that they soften and cook at the same time. Cook the veggies for 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the other ingredients for the soup. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, cinnamon and ginger. Pour vegetable broth and maple syrup into the pot and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid has come to a simmer, reduce the heat on the stove to low until the acorn squash has finished roasting. After 35 minutes in the oven, remove the acorn squash from the oven and scoop all of the flesh out into the pot on the stove.
- Puree the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree all of the ingredients for the soup together in the pot. Or transfer all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You might have to do this in two batches, depending on how large your blender is. Either serve immediately, or transfer the soup back to the pot on the stove over low heat, until ready to serve.
Additions and variations
- To make a creamy acorn squash soup, replace 2 cups of the vegetable broth with either coconut milk (to make it vegan) or half and half.
- To add chicken to the soup, I recommend using this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe. The chicken will cook in the time that you’re preparing the soup, then you can shred it and add 1-2 cups of chicken to the soup before serving. You could also use chicken pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, for a quick and easy option.
- To make spicy acorn squash soup, add 1 tablespoon sriracha at the same time as the maple syrup, or add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, at the same time as the cinnamon.
- To make curried acorn squash soup, omit the thyme, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Add 3-4 teaspoons of curry powder to the vegetables, before adding the vegetable broth.
Toppings
Try any of these toppings on this roasted acorn squash soup! I love a drizzle of maple syrup, some chopped candied pecans and pomegranate seeds for a burst of color, flavor and texture on top of the soup.
- Candied pecans (chopped) – click this link for my easy homemade recipe!
- Pomegranate seeds – follow this post for how to cut a pomegranate and easily remove the seeds.
- Cooked, crumbled bacon – click this link for an easy step-by-step guide for cooking bacon in the oven.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Fried sage leaves
- Chopped chives
- Red pepper flakes
- Drizzle of maple syrup
- Croutons
What to serve with it
Pair this soup with salad for a healthy meal, or with grilled cheese sandwiches or bread for dipping into the soup!
- Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls
- Garlic Bread
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread
- Bacon Tomato Avocado Grilled Cheese
- Caramelized Pear and Brie Grilled Cheese
- Butternut Squash Spinach Kale Salad
- Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
How to store and reheat
- To store: pour any leftover acorn squash soup in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To reheat in the microwave: pour the soup into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, covered, for 2-3 minutes.
- To reheat on the stove: pour the soup into a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Simmer and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.
- To freeze: allow the soup to cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe storage container and seal tightly. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend thawing the soup out overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove and serving.
More soup recipes
Don’t miss the most popular soup recipes on the blog! Check them out at the links below.
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Meatball Soup
- Thai Coconut Soup with Potstickers
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Potato Soup
- Chai Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Acorn Squash Soup
Roasted acorn squash is pureed with carrots, maple syrup, herbs and spices in this easy and flavorful recipe for Acorn Squash Soup! This recipe is comforting and creamy, while also being healthy, gluten free and vegan.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds acorn squash, approximately 2 average sized squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 ½ teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 1 cup carrots, small dice
- 1 cup onion, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- ¼ cup maple syrup, or honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the acorn squash in half from stem to root, scoop out the seeds, then brush each half with approximately ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Place the acorn squash, cut side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and into the oven for 35 minutes.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots and onions, cook for 6 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Season the vegetables with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Add the vegetable broth and maple syrup to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Once the liquid has come to a simmer, reduce the heat on the stove to low until the acorn squash has finished roasting.
- Remove the acorn squash from the oven, scoop the flesh from the acorn squash and add it to the pot.
- Use an immersion blender to puree all of the ingredients together in the pot, or transfer all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately, or keep the soup on the stove over low heat until ready to serve.
Notes
- To make a creamy acorn squash soup, replace 2 cups of the vegetable broth with either coconut milk (to make it vegan) or half and half.
- To add chicken to the soup, I recommend using this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe. The chicken will cook in the time that you’re preparing the soup, then you can shred it and add 1-2 cups of chicken to the soup before serving. You could also use chicken pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, for a quick and easy option.
- To make spicy acorn squash soup, add 1 tablespoon sriracha at the same time as the maple syrup, or add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, at the same time as the cinnamon.
- To make curried acorn squash soup, omit the thyme, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Add 3-4 teaspoons of curry powder to the vegetables, before adding the vegetable broth.
- To store leftover acorn squash soup, pour it into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To reheat the soup in the microwave, pour the soup into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, covered, for 2-3 minutes.
- To reheat the soup on the stove, pour the soup into a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Simmer and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.
- To freeze the soup, allow it to cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe storage container and seal tightly. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend thawing the soup out overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove and serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 202kcal (10%)Carbohydrates 41g (14%)Protein 3g (6%)Fat 5g (8%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 3gSodium 1620mg (68%)Potassium 947mg (27%)Fiber 5g (20%)Sugar 12g (13%)Vitamin A 4742mg (95%)Vitamin C 29mg (35%)Calcium 116mg (12%)Iron 2mg (11%)
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