Easy Acorn Squash Soup

two hands holding a bowl of acorn squash soup

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 40

This easy acorn squash soup recipe is creamy, slightly sweet, and full of savory flavor from thyme, cumin, and paprika. Roast the squash for deeper flavor or microwave it to save time, then blend everything into a smooth, comforting fall soup.

5 from 24 votes

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Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, about 2-3 cups*
½ onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cream, or half-and-half

Instructions

Cut the acorn squash in half:

Poke a couple of holes in the squash and microwave it whole for 2 minutes to soften the skin. Use a kitchen towel to remove it from the microwave (it will be hot), place it on a cutting board, and slice it in half.

Cook the acorn squash:

In the microwave: Place the two halves in a microwave-safe 9x9 baking dish, and cook for about 6 minutes, until the meat is soft when pierced with a fork. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Remove the acorn squash meat from the skin with a spoon.
In the oven: Use a metal spoon to scrape out all the seeds and pulp from the acorn squash halves.
Season the tops with a little salt and pepper, then place the two halves skin-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast them at 400F for about 60 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the meat. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip the acorn squash over. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then scoop out the acorn squash meat into a bowl.

Make the soup:

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. Add the broth and cream, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the acorn squash meat to the pot and stir to combine. When it returns to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Blend it:

With an immersion blender: Insert it into the soup pot and blend on low speed first, then on high, for about 1 minute, until smooth. minute, until smooth.
With a regular blender: Ladle half of the soup into the blender, filling it no more than halfway full, cover with the lid, and remove the vent to let the steam escape. Blend slowly at first, then increase the speed and blend until smooth.
Transfer the puréed soup into an empty soup pot or another bowl. Repeat with the remaining soup in the pot. Pour the blended soup back into the pot, stir to combine, and serve.

Serve and store:

Ladle the acorn squash soup into bowls.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Heat up slowly, stirring a couple of times to keep it smooth.

Notes

One medium (1.5-pound) acorn squash yields about 1 to 1 ¼ cups of cooked and mashed squash.

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