This Easy Acorn Squash Soup Recipe is made with roasted acorn squash, carrots, celery, and cauliflower and blended with fresh garlic, ginger, and a touch of ground cinnamon for a cozy fall soup the whole family will love (vegetarian and gluten-free).
Acorn Squash Soup Recipe
This acorn squash soup recipe is creamy, cozy, delicious and made with a handful of super simple, healthy ingredients. Filled with vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and acorn squash, this easy acorn squash soup is not only incredibly good for you, but also delicious.
Similar to my very favorite butternut squash soup recipe, this blended acorn squash soup is one that I love to make year-round – not just during the cool winter months. If you’re not a fan of eating the same dinner three nights in a row (yes, this does make a large pot of soup), this is one soup recipe that is easily frozen and reheated.
What is acorn squash
Acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo), while typically considered a winter squash, is part of the same species as summer squash (zucchini and crookneck squash). Indigenous to North and Central America, acorn squash produces yellow trumpet-looking flowers that are edible.
The most nutrient-dense of all summer squash, acorn squash –
- Are a great source of vitamin C which helps boost immunity.
- High in fiber (2.1 grams per 1 cup).
- High in potassium (486 mg per 1 cup).
Click here to read my full post all about ACORN SQUASH, including how to pick, cut, and cook them.
Ingredients in Acorn Squash Soup
The ingredients in this acorn squash soup include –
- Acorn squash – You will need three medium or two large acorn squash to make this recipe. Exact weight or amount isn’t super important, however, I always buy extra rather than less since the leftovers of this soup are so good. Unfortunately, I have yet to find pre-chopped or canned acorn squash puree, so feel free to substitute acorn squash with butternut squash or pumpkin if needed.
- Carrot, celery, onion – Also known as a mirepoix, these vegetables are first sauteed before being boiled and pureed. They contribute loads of sweet and savory notes to the soup.
- Sweet potatoes – I usually only add a couple of small sweet potatoes to a large pot of soup. Sweet potatoes strengthen the sweet undertones and contribute to the overall creaminess of the soup.
- Cauliflower – cauliflower is crazy healthy, blends into silky smooth creaminess, and takes on any flavor.
- Ginger and Garlic – fresh, fresh, fresh. Don’t worry about chopping or mincing either of these super small before cooking since they’ll be pureed with the rest of the soup. I do, however, recommend smashing them with the side of a knife to start the breaking-down process.
- Fresh sage – Sage and acorn squash go hand in hand. Feel free to add it, or leave it out, however, it adds a nice additional flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – Not too much. After all, we don’t want to overpower things, but a little ground cinnamon adds a nice warming touch.
- Vegetable broth or water – I’ve used water, vegetable broth, and chicken broth. All make a wonderful soup.
- Half-and-Half or another creamer (optional) – Creamer of any kind is completely optional. You can add it to the whole pot, to individual serving bowls, or add none at all. I like to add a little half and half, but never so much that it turns into a cream-tasting soup.
How to make Acorn Squash Soup
To make this acorn squash soup, simply:
- First, roast the acorn squash – Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a sharp, sturdy chef’s knife, cut the acorn squash in half from stem to tip and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from the inside of the squash. Place the squash halves cut-side-up on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the entire surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 45-60 minutes or until tops are nice and golden brown and the squash flesh is soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before handling.
- As the acorn squash cooks, start the soup – Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions soften and turn translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes and mix well to combine with the onion. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the cauliflower – Mix in the garlic and ginger and cook for approximately 1 minute. Add the cauliflower florets and mix well to combine. Add the fresh sage, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Add the broth, roasted acorn squash, and simmer – Add the water or vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow vegetables to simmer for approximately 15 minutes. In the meantime, scoop the soft flesh from the roasted acorn squash and transfer to the pot. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Blend soup – Once all the vegetables have softened, remove from heat and grab a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Working in batches, fill your blender or food processor approximately half full with the soup and blend until completely pureed. Pour your pureed soup into a new pot. Repeat until all the vegetables have been pureed.
- Season to taste – Over low heat, stir in the 1/2 cup of half-and-half (if using) and season with salt, pepper, and additional cream to taste. Stir often to prevent soup from burning.
- Serve – Serve with all your favorite toppings including homemade croutons, crackers, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, fresh herbs, shredded cheese, or pomegranate arils, if desired.
It seems like a lot of work, but I promise it’s not as much as it seems. A lot of the time is spent chopping and waiting for vegetables to soften.
Do you have to peel acorn squash for soup?
This is a really great question since, technically, acorn squash does not need to be peeled.
Yes, you read that correctly – you can absolutely eat the skin of acorn squash.
That said, when it comes to this acorn squash soup, I’m going to leave this one up to you. I roast my squash with the skin on and then scoop out the soft, roasted flesh. I do not add the skin to the soup.
Why? I have no idea. After all, assuming you have a high-speed blender or immersion blender, the tender roasted skin should have no problem blending together with the rest of the soup. I’ll have to give it a try next time…
Can you freeze acorn squash soup?
Absolutely.
The best part about all squash soups is that they taste even better the next day and freeze really well.
You may store this leftover acorn squash soup in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Typically, the soup will thicken slightly as it cools, so you may need to add a little water when reheating.
To freeze acorn squash soup, allow the soup to cool before transferring to freezer-safe ziplock bags or storage containers. Remove as much air as possible. Lay flat on a baking sheet and transfer to the freezer (stacking multiple bags, one on top of the other, if necessary).
To thaw, transfer soup to the refrigerator overnight or transfer to a bowl filled with warm water for faster thawing. Best enjoyed within 4 months.
Tips and Tricks
- Keep this soup vegan and dairy-free by skipping the half-and-half or cream. Use coconut milk instead (or no cream at all).
- This recipe makes a lot of acorn squash soup – enough to feed my husband and me for at least 3-4 nights. Refer to the section above on how to properly store and freeze this recipe should you wish to save it for later.
- Always take care when blending hot soup – no matter the blending method – as it can be hot.
- Add a little spice with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Roast your seeds for a yummy snack.
- For extra protein top your soup with ground Italian sausage or roasted chickpeas.
For more squash recipes check out –
- Cheesy Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash Recipe
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
- How to Cook Spaghetti Squash (6 ways! A Complete Guide)
- Butternut Squash, Zucchini, and Spinach Lasagna
- Easy 5 Ingredient Herb Roasted Butternut Squash with Pine Nuts
- Pork Chops with Apples and Butternut Squash
If you make this acorn squash soup recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Easy Acorn Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Roasted Acorn Squash
- 3 whole acorn squash (halved and seeded)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to season)
For the Acorn Squash Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (roughly chopped)
- 6 large carrots (chopped)
- 6 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 small sweet potatoes (
scrubbed and chopped into cubes
) - 5 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger (peeled, sliced, and smashed)
- 12 ounces cauliflower florets ((approximately 3-4 cups))
- 8-12 fresh sage leaves (roughly chopped)
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or water (plus more as needed))
- 1/2 cup half-and-half (or cream (optional))
- Optional Toppings (Homemade Croutons, crackers, cheese, fresh herbs, nuts, seeds, everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, bacon, etc.)
Instructions
For the Roasted Acorn Squash
- Preheat the oven - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the acorn squash for roasting - Using a sharp, sturdy chef's knife, cut the acorn squash in half from stem to tip. Don't try to cut the stem in half, cut around it. Use a metal spoon to scoop and scrape out the seeds and stringy bits from the inside of the squash until it is smooth. Place the squash halves cut-side-up on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the entire surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake - Bake for approximately 45-60 minutes or until tops are nice and golden brown and the squash flesh is soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before handling.
For the Acorn Squash Soup
- Cook the root vegetables - Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until the onions soften and turn translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes and mix well to combine with the onion. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the cauliflower- After approximately 10 minutes or so, once the vegetables have had a chance to start softening, stir in the garlic and ginger and sautè for approximately 1 minute. Add the cauliflower florets and mix well to combine. Add the fresh sage, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Add the broth, roasted acorn squash, and simmer - Add the water or vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow vegetables to simmer for approximately 15 minutes. In the meantime, scoop the soft flesh from the roasted acorn squash and transfer to the pot. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Blend soup - Once all the vegetables have softened, remove from heat and grab a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Working in batches, fill your blender approximately half full with the acorn squash and broth mixture and blend until completely pureed. Pour your pureed soup into a new pot. Repeat until all the vegetables have been pureed into soup.
- Season to taste - Over low heat, stir in the 1/2 cup of half-and-half and season with salt, pepper, and additional cream to taste. Stir often to prevent soup from burning.
- Serve - Serve with all your favorite toppings including homemade croutons, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, fresh herbs, shredded cheese, bacon bits, or pomegranate arils, if desired.
Jessica's Notes
- You may use any creamer you like or no creamer at all. It's entirely up to you. Delicious additions include half and half, full cream, or coconut milk.
- The broth or water should reach just below the top of the chopped vegetables - in other words enough for all the vegetables to cook in the broth.
- For soups like this you can't really overcook your vegetables, so no need to set a timer for 30 minutes exactly. As long as all your vegetables are nice and mushy, you're good to go.
- You may want to let your vegetables and broth cool slightly before blending. If you're in a hurry, make sure to only fill half way and pulse before blending. If your mixture is too thick or you're having trouble blending, don't hesitate to add more vegetable broth until you reach your desired consistency.
- Soup will thicken after cooling. Add additional vegetable broth or water as needed to reach desired thickness when reheating.
- Nutrition information does not include suggested toppings.
Nutrition
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Do you know how we could do this recipe in an instant pot?
Great question Jamie! But alas I have not tried to make this recipe in an Instant Pot as of yet 🙂
What measurements for everything?
Hi Aw,
The measurements and complete instructions can be found in the recipe at the bottom, 🙂 here: https://theforkedspoon.com/acorn-squash-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-48551
I had the best butternut soup at Letchworth State Park restaurant. I emailed the place to complement the chef on the dinner and asked about the soup. Adding apple juice. Not sure measurements , some broth could be substituted for apple juice.