Acorn Squash Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

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One of the best things about fall is all of the amazing seasonal soups, and this recipe for roasted acorn squash soup is one of them. It is perfectly creamy with a little bit of a kick to keep things interesting.

Acorn Squash Soup - CopyKat Recipes (1)

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Why This Acorn Squash Recipe is so Good

If you love acorn squash, you will probably love this recipe. It’s creamy, full of bold flavor from the roasted squash, and topped with pumpkin seeds and freshly chopped cilantro.

The spices used in this recipe also make this the perfect fall soup that is easy to make and easy to devour!

How to Pick Out an Acorn Squash

There are a few things to look for to select the perfect acorn squash.

  • The acorn squash should feel a little heavy for its size.
  • Try to find a squash that is dull in color and has smooth skin. Generally, when you get a shiny acorn squash, it means that the squash was picked before it was ready.
  • Try to find an acorn squash that has a good mix of green and orange coloring.

Acorn Squash Soup Recipe Ingredients

You will notice that from the ingredients that this soup has fall written all over it! Make sure to stock up on all your fall spices. Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Acorn Squash
  • Butter
  • White Onion
  • Allspice
  • Cardamom
  • White pepper
  • Salt
  • Chicken broth
  • Heavy cream
  • Pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)
  • Cilantro
Acorn Squash Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2)

Can you use butternut squash for this recipe?

Technically, yes, you can replace the acorn squash with butternut squash and the soup should turn out fine. However, butternut squash and acorn squash are a little different in taste.

The butternut squash is a little sweeter than the acorn squash, so you might have to adjust the spices to compensate. Do this at the very end of the cooking process to make sure the spices aren’t too overpowering.

How to Make Acorn Squash Soup

This soup is easy to prepare. In fact, I like working with acorn squash much more so than butternut squash. I am always concerned with butternut squash that I am going to cut myself because it can be so hard to cut. Acorn squash is softer and easier to cut.

  1. Cut the acorn squash in half, remove the seeds, and place the squash into a baking dish, cut side down. Add enough water to cover the bottom 1/2 inch of the pan.
  2. Cook the squash in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins.
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  1. In a medium-sized pot, sauté the onions in butter until they become translucent Over medium heat. Add allspice, cardamom, white pepper, and salt, and stir until the spices become fragrant.
Acorn Squash Soup - CopyKat Recipes (4)
  1. Add chicken broth and cooked squash, and cook until heated through.
  2. Use either a stick blender or a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add the heavy cream. Heat through, avoid boiling after the cream has been added.
  3. Garnish with cilantro and pumpkin seeds to serve.
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Recipe Varaiations

Want to make this soup vegetarian or dairy-free? There are some easy substitutions for both.

  • Vegetarian – substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
  • Dairy-free – leave out the cream or substitute it with almond milk or another dairy-free cream.

Differences Between Butternut Squash and Acorn Squash

I’ve already mentioned that butternut squash has a bit of a sweeter taste than acorn squash, but that is not the only difference.

Acorn squash has a more coarse and stringy texture, as opposed to the butternut squash, which is more buttery. This is why you find butternut squash in soup more frequently.

Then there is the shape of the squash. The acorn squash looks like an enlarged acorn, but the butternut squash is shaped more like a peanut.

The skins of both squashes can be eaten. However, the acorn squash skin is a tad bit tougher than the butternut squash skin.

Delicious Toppings for Acorn Squash Soup

This is a very fun and tasty soup. You can spice it up or down, literally with different toppings.

Here are a few good suggestions for acorn squash soup toppings:

  • Sour Cream
  • Fresh chopped chives
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Dried fruit
  • Chopped bacon
  • Nutmeg
  • Blue cheese crumbles

You can do whatever sounds tasty to you! These are a few favorites that are great to mix it up, especially when you have leftovers.

What to Serve with Acorn Squash Soup

This creamy soup is great by itself or with some bread or salad. Here are a few recipes to accompany the soup:

  • Breadsticks
  • Crostini
  • Garden Salad

How to Store Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Store your leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze it, make sure to use a freezer-safe bag or container.

How to Reheat Acorn Squash Soup

It’s super simple to reheat acorn squash soup. Just place the soup in a small pan and warm it up over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until it’s heated through.

Or you can microwave the soup in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds to 1 minute depending on how much soup you are heating up.

Wonderful Fall Season Food

If ever asked, I have to say the fall is my favorite season of the whole year. I love the cooler weather, I love the beautiful colors of fall, I even like daylight savings time.

I also love the wonderful variety of vegetables that come only during the fall. Some of my fall favorites are air fried acorn squash, baked acorn squash, roasted butternut squash, and pumpkin bisque.

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Favorite Soup Recipes

  • Autum Squash Soup
  • Chicken Tortellini Soup
  • Cream of Celery Soup
  • Old Fashioned Potato Soup
  • Navy Bean Soup
  • Panera Tomato Soup
  • Sausage and Lentil Soup
  • She Crab Soup
  • Southwest Chicken Soup
  • Tuscany Soup

Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best fall recipes here on CopyKat!

Acorn Squash Soup

Creamy Acorn Squash Soup is perfect for fall.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Acorn Squash Soup

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds acorn squash (or about 5 cups cut up)
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the squash into a baking dish, cut side down. Add enough water to cover the bottom 1/2 inch of the pan.

  • Cook the squash in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins.

  • In a medium-sized pot, sauté the onions in butter over medium heat until they become translucent.

  • Add allspice, cardamom, white pepper, and salt, and stir until the spices become fragrant. Add chicken broth and cooked squash, and cook until heated through.

  • Use either a stick blender or a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and add the heavy cream. Heat through, and avoid boiling after the cream has been added.

  • Garnish with pumpkin seeds and cilantro to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 13.4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Acorn Squash Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook Ina Garten acorn squash? ›

Place 1/2 tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon maple syrup in the cavity of each squash. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle the squash with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until tender when pierced with a small knife.

Can you eat acorn squash skin in soup? ›

It's definitely OK to eat squash skin,” Rayna Joyce, vegetable production manager at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, told me. “Some (winter) squash have really delicate skins and they become tender when cooked.

Do you peel acorn squash before boiling? ›

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

Why cook squash cut side down? ›

Putting it cut-side down creates a sort-of steam chamber for the flesh, helping it cook faster and retain moisture (no dried out squash here!).

Does it matter which way you cut an acorn squash? ›

As others have said, cutting lengthwise gives you even halves and even cooking time. It's also easier to remove the stem this way. It doesn't really matter. If you are going to serve the squash in it's shell I would slice it from stem end to flower end.

How to tell when acorn squash is done cooking? ›

You'll know when the squash is done when you can easily insert a fork in the flesh. You want it tender, yet not mushy. If the squash is already cut in half, you can easily test if it is done by sticking a fork in the flesh of the squash. If it's fork-tender, it's done cooking and ready to eat.

Can you eat the green skin on acorn squash? ›

Yes, You Can Eat the Skin of Acorn Squash and Other Winter Squashes—Here's How. Some varieties, like acorn squash and honeynut, have tender, tasty skin. Others, not so much.

How do you cook squash Jamie Oliver? ›

Rub the skin of the squash with a little oil, salt and pepper, and if you've got them, pat on any extra herb leaves you have to hand. Place the squash in the centre of a double layer of tin foil, then tightly wrap it up. Bake for around 2 hours, or until soft and cooked through.

Can you eat acorn squash raw? ›

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

Why is my squash soup so bitter? ›

Why does my butternut squash soup taste bitter? The growing conditions of the gourd can impact the taste of the flesh. This may cause an elevated production of cucurbitacin in the squash, resulting in a slightly bitter taste. You can balance it with a little bit of salt and sweetener like honey or pure maple syrup.

How do you pick squash for soup? ›

Here are five tips to always keep in mind.
  1. Feel the weight. Pick up that squash and feel the weight of it in your hands. ...
  2. Check the stem. Take a good look at the stem: It should be intact, firm, and dry. ...
  3. Observe the color. ...
  4. Look at the surface. ...
  5. Avoid cracks, cuts, and soft spots.
Oct 10, 2017

Do you leave the skin of acorn squash? ›

Acorn Squash: Whether cut into slices or stuffed and baked whole, acorn squash skin is totally tasty. When roasted, the skin becomes soft enough to eat by the forkful, For those who prefer it skin-free, the meat separates from the peel easily after cooking.

What tool is used to cut acorn squash? ›

The safest way to peel an acorn squash is to use a vegetable peeler. You can peel it while whole, or cut it down into slices or wedges and then peel. Alternatively, if you are comfortable with your knife skills, use a chef's knife to carefully slice the outermost part of the skin from the squash.

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