As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, there's nothing more comforting than a bowl of warm, homemade soup. This Acorn Squash Soup is one of my absolute favorite fall dishes! It's the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors that captures the essence of the cool autumn season. Give this recipe a try and warm up your kitchen - and your heart - with a warm bowl of homemade goodness.
If you're looking for other delicious soup recipes, try my cauliflower, leek and potato soup.
Why Acorn Squash?
Acorn squash, with its unique shape and rich flavor, is a star ingredient in fall cooking. Not only is it delicious, but it's also packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants. Its natural sweetness pairs beautifully with a variety of spices, making it an ideal base for a hearty soup!
Ingredients
Acorn Squash: This is the star of the show and best to buy in fall when it's in season!
Bacon: If you want to make this vegan or aren't a bacon fan then you can omit this. Ensure that you add some olive oil to the pot before adding the vegetables if you choose not to add the bacon!
Shallot: If you don't have shallots, you can substitute for any sweet onion of your liking.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but you can also use the minced garlic that you buy in jars or you can use garlic powder if you'd like.
Carrots: There really is no substitution for carrots so trust me, they're worth it in the soup!
Heavy Cream: I recommend heavy cream so you get a nice, creamy textured soup. However, you can use milk here if you prefer.
Maple Syrup: This adds a touch of sweetness. If you don't have maple syrup, you can use a touch of honey!
Vegetable Stock: I suggest using vegetable stock. If you need to, you can substitute water and a 2 bullion cubes.
Spices: The spices used in this recipe include ginger, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. I suggest you use all of them but feel free to be creative if you want to switch up the spices!
How To Make Acorn Squash Soup
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Step 2: Wrap each squash in aluminum foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating squash halfway through. Check for tenderness. Continue to bake in 10 minute intervals until tender. Remove from oven.
Step 3: Cut top off. Remove seeds and discard. Remove flesh and put in a bowl.
Step 4: Cut bacon into pieces and add to a stockpot. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set on a plate with paper towel.
Step 5: Add garlic, shallot and carrots to the pot with the bacon grease. Cook until shallot becomes fragrant and starts to brown a little bit.
Step 6: Add vegetable or chicken stock, heavy cream, maple syrup and the flesh of the acorn squash to pot. Simmer mixture on the stove top until carrots are softened (15-20 minutes). Continue stirring while the mixture is cooking so you don't burn the cream.
Step 7: Once the carrots are softened, use an immersion blender to blend the soup together until smooth.
Step 8: Season with spices and salt and pepper.
Step 9: Serve soup in bowl and garnish with the bacon that you previously cooked. Other garnishes include sour cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley flakes.
Tips and Tricks for Success
Luckily, this recipe is fairly easy to make, but I wanted to include a few tips and tricks to make sure you're successful!
- Cook your squash in advance! This will allow your squash to cool before you try to scrape out the insides and will prevent you from burning your hands. I like to roast mine either the night before or in the morning and then store it in the fridge until it's ready to be used.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can move the soup into a blender and blend it that way. This may need to be done in batches. If you have the budget, I highly encourage you to invest in an immersion blender because they do make life significantly easier!
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📖 Recipe
Acorn Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash whole
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 c vegetable or chicken stock low sodium
- 1 c heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- heavy cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Wrap each squash in aluminum foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating squash halfway through. Check for tenderness. Continue to bake in 10 minute intervals until tender. Remove from oven.*2 acorn squash
- Cut top off. Remove seeds and discard. Remove flesh and put in a bowl.**
- Cut bacon into pieces and add to a stockpot. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set on a plate with paper towel.4 slices bacon
- Add garlic, shallot and carrots to the pot with the bacon grease. Cook until shallot becomes fragrant and starts to brown a little bit.1 shallot, 4 cloves garlic, 2 large carrots
- Add vegetable or chicken stock, heavy cream, maple syrup and the flesh of the acorn squash to pot. Simmer mixture on the stove top until carrots are softened (15-20 minutes). Continue stirring while the mixture is cooking so you don't burn the cream.2 c vegetable or chicken stock, 1 c heavy cream, 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- Once the carrots are softened, use an immersion blender to blend the soup together until smooth.***
- Season with spices and salt and pepper.½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, salt and pepper to taste
- Serve soup in bowl and garnish with the bacon that you previously cooked. Other garnishes include heavy cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley flakes.****heavy cream, sunflower seeds, and parsley for garnish
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