Easy Acorn Squash Soup

It all begins with roasted acorn squash and a few simple aromatics, blending it until smooth for a light and creamy bowl of soup.

What is an Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is a winter vegetable similar to butternut squash in flavor and texture but slightly more fibrous. It’s shaped like an oversized acorn with dark green skin, hence the name.

Simple Acorn Squash Soup

This acorn squash soup is buttery-sweet and savory with notes of curry and chili spices. The addition of milk makes it extra creamy, and when pureéd it achieves a rich consistency that easily glosses the back of your spoon.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make acorn squash soup:

• onions and celery: these are known as aromatic vegetables wich add flavor to the base of this soup.
• butter: to sauté the veggies.
• all-purpose flour: added to the veggies and helps give the soup a thicker consistency, also optional.
• thyme: the earthy flavor pairs great with this root vegetable.
• cumin: its lightly smoky undertones pairs great with roasted vegetables.
• paprika: it’s smoky and pairs well with the flavors of acorn squash and cumin.
• vegetable broth: the liquid component of this soup. 
• milk: enhances the smooth texture and makes this soup creamier. 
• acorn squash: the star ingredient of the recipe. 

To make this soup dairy-free, use coconut milk instead of regular milk to keep the creamy flavor and a neutral oil to sauté the veggies. 

How to Pick Out an Acorn Squash

To pick out an acorn squash that’s ripe and ready to cook, check for firm skin that’s a dark shade of green. You’ll also notice a small patch of bright orange on one side, from where the squash sat on the ground, but if the entire squash is covered in orange, it’s past its prime. The stem should also be attached and slightly withered and brown.

How to Cook Acorn Squash in the Microwave to Soften

This soup calls for 2 cups steamed and mashed acorn squash, about 1 whole squash. Steaming the acorn squash in the microwave will help soften and make blending with the rest of the ingredients easier.

You can steam the acorn squash before cooking the soup, follow the steps below and refrigerate in a container or zip bag for up to 3 days.

First, you’ll rinse the squash with water and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove the squash from the microwave and allow to cool off before cutting in half. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds from the center of the squash.

Make Next: Roasted Acorn Squash Slices

How to Make Acorn Squash Soup

Whether you roast of microwave the acorn squash, Once the squash is pre-cooked, you’re ready to move on to the rest of the recipe. 

1. Cook the acorn squash
   Microwave or roast the acorn squash until tender. Scoop out the meat into a bowl, set it aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics and spices
   In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the onion and celery, and sauté until the onions are translucent, for about 3 minutes. Add the flour and spices to the veggies and stir to combine. Cook to toast the spices and the flour while stirring, for about 1 minute.
3. Simmer the soup
   Add the broth and milk and bring the mixture to a simmering boil. Add the acorn squash meat to the soup, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Blend until smooth
   Use an immersion or traditional blender (working in batches) to blend the soup into a velvety-smooth texture. Serve warm.

How to Puree Soup

You can use an immersion blender or a traditional blender to puree any soup. If using an immersion blender, you’ll purée the soup in the pot by inserting the blender stick directly into the pot and blending until smooth. 

Using a traditional blender, you’d work in batches by ladling the soup and filling the jar no more than halfway. Cover the jar with the lid, open the venting top to let some of the steam escape, blend on low speed, and gradually increase speed until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup into an empty soup pot or another bowl. Repeat with the remaining soup in the pot, and once all the soup is blended smoothly, combine, heat it through, and serve.

Acorn Squash Soup Consistency

Acorn squash soup is creamy and similar in texture to butternut squash soup. The acorn squash’s soft texture after being cooked makes it ideal for soup since it blends easily and helps give this soup an incredible buttery smooth consistency.

Acorn Squash Soup Toppings

Adding a few topping ideas will certainly take this soup to the next level. Here are a few additions to sprinkle over the top of your bowl: 

• croutons
• cooked and chopped bacon
• grated Parmesan cheese
• crème fraîche

You can also try out these toppings on my Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. It’s another winter squash turned into a delicious, cozy soup recipe. 

• Winter Salad
• Spinach & Bacon Mini Quiches
• Homemade Popovers
• Grilled Cheese (this will win the kids over)

This soup would also make a delicious addition to any Thanksgiving dinner menu. And if you’re looking for more fall recipes and sides to include in your holiday feast, then check out my Giving Thanks: a Thanksgiving Menu.

It has 23 incredible recipes plus a daily prep guide and kitchen notes to help make this Thanksgiving a much easier and delicious experience.

How to Store Leftovers

This acorn squash soup is good for up to 4 days in the fridge. Otherwise, the rest will need to be frozen. Thankfully, this pureed soup is perfect for freezing and reheating. Since many of the ingredients are blended down, its texture and flavors won’t be altered. 

To freeze, you’ll want to bring the soup to room temperature before transferring it into gallon-size zip bags. I like to place the bags filled with soup onto a baking sheet so they freeze flat. Once they’re frozen solid, you can remove the baking sheet and stack them in the freezer.