You'll fall in love with the creamy texture and delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors in my acorn squash soup! Made with roasted acorn squash, rich coconut milk, and fresh herbs, this soup is so comforting and perfect for enjoying with a piece of crusty bread. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free too!
It's that time of year when winter squash is popping up at all the farmer's markets! I find that butternut squash tends to hog the spotlight, and while I love me a good bowl of vegan butternut squash soup, today I want to focus on another super delicious squash variety that you totally should be cooking with: acorn squash.
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Acorn squash is super sweet, just like butternut, but it has a slightly different taste, with more nutty notes that work really well when paired up with savory seasonings, which is why we're using fresh herbs to flavor this soup.
Acorn squash also has a scalloped body, so it's not as easy to peel as butternut, so we'll be roasting our squash to make it easier to work with. This also intensifies the flavor of the squash, making for an extra scrumptious soup!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Acorn Squash. Use fully ripe, sweet acorn squash! Good squash can be the difference between a knockout batch of soup and one that's just...meh. Look for acorn squash with dull skin (not shiny!) that are dark green and orange in color. Your squash should also feel dense and heavy for it's size.
- Olive oil. Other high heat oils like canola, avocado, and corn oil will work just fine in this recipe.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Fresh rosemary. You'll need a whole sprig of fresh rosemary for this soup. I don't recommend substituting dried rosemary, as you just won't get the same depth of flavor.
- Rubbed sage. This is ground up dried sage. It can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can, and not the type in cartons, which is heavily diluted.
- Ground nutmeg.
- Salt and pepper.
- Pepitas. Also known as pumpkin seeds, these are optional, but make a great topping for acorn squash soup.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Roasting acorn squash is easy! Cut the squash in half, then scoop out the seeds. Rub the halves with olive oil, place them on a baking sheet, and pop them into the oven. This is the same method we use to make stuffed acorn squash.
The squash are done when they're tender and browned in spots. Let them cool a bit, then scoop out the inner flesh. This is what we're using in the soup! The peel can be thrown in the trash or composted.
Tip: Keep an eye on your squash and don't let them burn. If they have some undercooked spots, that's okay! Remember, you'll be cooking them a second time by simmering them in the soup.
Heat some olive oil in a pot, then add your diced onion, carrots and celery. Cook this mixture for a bit, just to start softening the veggies. Now add some minced garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about a minute, stirring so you don't burn it.
Now add your roasted squash to the pot, along with broth, the entire sprig of rosemary, and your rubbed sage. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for a bit. You can use a spoon to break up any big chunks of squash!
Time to blend the soup! Take the rosemary sprig out first. You can transfer the soup to a blender, like I've done, or use a hand blender and blend it right in the pot.
Finish your soup off by adding some coconut milk and nutmeg. It will have cooled down a bit, so reheat it, then season it with some salt and pepper.
Time to enjoy a big bowl of this luscious acorn squash soup! Pepitas make a great topping, but you could also try croutons, nuts, fresh herbs, or even some coconut bacon.
This soup is great with some freshly baked bread. I especially love it with a big chunk of vegan cornbread or a vegan corn muffin.
Variations
- Try swapping out the herbs with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. You can keep the nutmeg that's already in the recipe, as it will go really well with these flavors!
- To make curried acorn squash soup, skip the herbs and nutmeg, and season the soup with a couple of teaspoons of curry powder or garam masala.
- Add some sweet and tart flavors by adding a Granny Smith apple to the soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Obviously, it won't be acorn squash soup, but this recipe can be made with most varieties of winter squash, such as butternut, kabocha, buttercup, and delicata. Smaller varieties of squash will need less time in the oven, and larger ones will take a bit more.
Substituting the coconut milk with light coconut milk will reduce both the fat and calories in this recipe. You can also cut down on the oil used to sauté the vegetables, or use water instead.
Most of the sodium comes from the broth. Use reduced sodium broth or replace some of the broth with water!
Leftovers & Reheating
Leftover acorn squash soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. It will thicken in storage, due to the coconut milk solidifying when chilled. The soup should thin when you reheat it, but feel free to add a splash of water if needed.
You can reheat your soup by microwaving in one minute increments, or by warming it up in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, stirring frequently.
More Fall Soup Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Acorn Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 medium acorn squash (about 4 pounds total)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 4-inches)
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pepitas, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds from each of the halves with a spoon. Lightly rub the outsides of the squash halves with olive oil, using a total of about a tablespoon of oil.
- Arrange the squash halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast the squash until it's easily pierced with a fork and shows some browning in spots, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let the squash cool for a bit after removing it from the oven. You can prepare the other ingredients in the meantime. Once the squash halves are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh onto a plate. Discard the peel.
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté it with the vegetables for about one minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the broth, the acorn squash, the rosemary sprig, and rubbed sage. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
- Remove the pot from heat. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
- Puree the soup until completely smooth. You can use an immersion blender, or transfer it in batches to a conventional blender. Always use caution when blending hot liquids.
- Return the soup to the pot if you moved it to a blender, then stir in the coconut milk and nutmeg. Place the pot over medium heat, just until the soup is as hot as you'd like it to be.
- Remove the pot from heat. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and optionally top each one with pepitas. Serve.
Notes
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