This roasted acorn squash soup is easy, vegan, paleo, clean eating, and the perfect soup for cold weather. This is one of my all-time favorite acorn squash recipes.
Today, I decided to make soup.
I kept seeing acorn squash on sale at the store. Teasing me with its simple and sweet acorn squash goodness.
It has been so cold everywhere that soup is always on my mind.
Alas - I decided to make this roasted acorn squash soup. <--- not a single word I don't love right there.
This is a delicious, healthy, vegetarian/vegan soup that is quite easy to make and perfect for the Fall and Winter. I add a tart granny smith apple to balance out the natural sweetness of the acorn squash. Also, I chose to add some cayenne pepper for a little kick, but that is entirely up to you.
How to Roast Acorn Squash
If you've never roasted acorn squash before, it can be a little intimidating. Fortunately, once you know how to cook acorn squash, it's super simple.
Basically think of cooking an acorn squash like you would a pumpkin or an other squash. Here are the step by step instructions for how to roast an acorn squash like a pro:
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
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Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Carefully slice the acorn squash in half (you'll likely need to put your weight into it so make sure you're careful).
- Remove and discard the acorn squash seeds and any membranes (again: think pumpkin).
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Lightly sprinkle the flesh of the acorn squash with sea salt and ground black pepper.
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Place squash, cut-side-down, onto the baking sheet and roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh is tender and easily pierced.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool.
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Once cool, remove flesh from skin by using a spoon and scooping out the flesh.
Follow these easy directions and you'll be able to make roasted acorn squash in your sleep. If you're interested in making a sweeter roasted acorn squash recipe, check out my how to roast acorn squash post.
How to Cut Acorn Squash
Since acorn squash skin is pretty tough, you'll want to make sure you're using a sharp, large knife. Holding the squash with one hand, carefully cut the acorn squash in half through the stem. This can be difficult if you don't put your weight into it, so make sure to really press down hard. You might want to steady the acorn squash on a kitchen towel to keep it from slipping.
Once you've cut it into halves, remove and discard the acorn squash seeds and any membranes. Then, it's ready to roast -- no need to make any further cuts.
How to Freeze Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
You can easily freeze leftover roasted acorn squash soup to enjoy later. Here are some tips for how to freeze:
- Allow the soup to cool completely. You may want to transfer to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.
- Freeze in either gallon– or quart-sized freezer bags or freezer safe containers for easy thawing and storage.
- Leave enough space at the top of the bag to allow for expansion during freezing. Squeeze as much air as possible out of the top of the bag and seal securely.
- Place the soup-filled freezer bags in the freezer, in a single, flat layer (using a rimmed baking sheet is helpful). Allow to freeze completely. Then, stack them on top of each other or standing side by side.
- Thaw bags of frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight when ready to reheat.
Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot or Large Deep Skillet
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 3 acorn squashes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried ginger
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place squash, cut-side-down, onto baking sheet. Roast in oven for 45-50 minutes, or until flesh is tender and easily pierced. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Once cool, remove flesh from skin by using a spoon and scooping out the flesh. Discard skin and set flesh aside.
- In a large deep pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots, apple, shallot and onions and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Once tender, add ginger, sage, cayenne, allspice, squash flesh and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and puree mixture, either with an immersion blender (best thing ever), a blender (in batches) or a food processor.
- Once pureed, season with any additional salt or pepper to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced red onion or apples, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for the kitchen item(s) I use 🙂
Terri
Can I use a different squash than acorn
Reinaldo
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Meghan
Wow! Not a hue fan of the sweet flavor of squash. Made this recipe because of the cayenne. Still found it a bit sweet. Second day added siracha sauce to my bowl and the flavors went together so perfectly! Perfect for that sweet and spicey flavor craving. Yuuum! I finally founs a way to eat squash that i actually enjoy. Thanks!
Cyndy
This soup is delicious! Loved the combination of spices and it's dairy free. Perfect for a chilly fall night.
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Joy Paul
I didn't have all the right ingredients, but I did have the spices, and I enjoyed the flavor that the spices produced. I also liked that it wasn't cream-based because it was naturally tasty this way. Thank you for the recipe!
Tara
Thank you for this recipe. I modified it to be a make ahead soup for Thanksgiving.
Tawnya Manion
I’ve been making this recipe for years, it’s my go to squash soup recipe!
Tawnya
Thespicybananas.com
Geneva
I want to serve the acorn squash soup at a luncheon, what do I serve with it?
Saia
Sooooo delicious. The flavor is such a nice surprise! I added chopped walnuts and pepitos as a garnish. Yummmmmm!
Mona
I made this in my instant pot! I pressure cooked my squash first, then added all the ingredients and set it to pressure cook for 15 minutes. It is absolutely divine. I used two squash and eyeballed the spices. I then threw the entire soup in my vita-mix. I read how someone stuck hemp seeds on top and I did the same (for extra plant based protein). Great soup, so throwing it in the weekly rotation and may even try different types of squash now that fall is almost here. Thank you!!!
Tais
Definitely 5 stars!!!!!
Lacey Baier
Woohoo!
Tais
I used just one squash and half of the rest of the ingredients. The soup came out perfect, maybe a bit too spicy for some, but just right for me. Enough for two people for two meals. In addition to your suggested garnish, I also sprinkled it with chia and roasted flex seeds. Yummy. Thank you for the healthy recipe. Will use it again.
Lacey Baier
Awesome, I'm glad you enjoyed it. LOVE your additional garnish ideas - thanks for sharing 🙂
Kirsten
I was hesitant to make this soup as my last squash soup was lacking something but I'm so glad I tried your recipe! It was so so yummy. I made it to the t except used leftover turkey stock I had in the freezer. The spices were perfection. I've bookmarked this page to make it again the next time I have acorn squash.
I also eyeballed a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that I wanna try next! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Lacey Baier
Yay! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the soup and it made it to the bookmarked recipes page! Woo! That bread is mighty tasty, too 🙂
Linda
This recipe makes a lot of soup! Can I freeze it? By the way this soup is delicious!
Lacey Baier
lol, that's a good problem! 😉 I've actually never frozen it, but don't see why it wouldn't freeze. If it separates when you reheat it, you could always emulsify it again as well 🙂
Karina
Lacey, you are a genius. This is an excellent soup. I add it to my menu. I roasted the squash side up though and coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Lacey Baier
Why, thank you so much, Karina! 🙂 SO glad you enjoyed this recipe.
carol
This soup is delicious. We were out of sage...and it still tastes wonderful. The roasting the acorn carmelized it ...and made it sweet. We have frozen a batch for Thanksgiving week! Thank you
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this soup so much, Carol. It's one of our favorites, especially during the colder months 🙂
Tracey
Sitting here eating a delicious bowl of this soup. I have never even made an acorn squash before. Love the subtle hint of spice in this. I was really surprised it even showed up as a flavor. I followed the recipe exactly, except I prefer a little sweetness and after it was completely done, and pureed I added a small amount of pure maple syrup. Really tasty soup.
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the soup, Tracey. I love the idea of adding a little sweetness with the maple syrup. I'm so happy you enjoyed your first experience making acorn squash 🙂
Terra
Made this in the vitamix yesterday...didn't have allspice or red onion...it was sooooo delicious! Paired wonderfully with vegan Gardein chicken salad sandwiches. Thank you!
Lacey Baier
Yay! Glad it turned out for you, Terra. Thanks for sharing.
Marianna
I made this soup tonight for dinner. I added a can of coconut milk. I also added seasoned ground beef with onion and celery to go on top of the soup. Thanks so much for the recipe! Will have to make this again! =)
Lacey Baier
Oooh, I like ALL of your additions 🙂
Arlene Davis
This is the second time making the Roasted Acorn Squash Soup.
Delicious. Easy. Understandable.
Love it. Thanks.
Arlene
Lacey Baier
Awesome. Thanks for sharing, Arlene So glad you enjoy the recipe 🙂
GardenofEP
Thanks for the recipe. I made it tonight and it was yummy. I didn't have the allspice, so I didn't use that. I also used homemade chicken stock because I didn't have any vegetable stock on hand. Yum!
Lacey Baier
Glad you enjoyed it!
Chef
Recipe looks great but there is no indication of portion size and yield. I have not checked out any other recipes but this is a good thing to add to recipes.
Lacey Baier
Thanks for the suggestion, Chef. I am actually planning to revamp all the recipes on this site to start including both those things because, I agree, they are valuable to have in a recipe. Stay tuned!
Lacey Baier
Hi Chef! Good news! I have added servings to this recipe. I hope you find this useful and thanks for the suggestion!
Kristi
Thanks for posting. Used your recipe as a bit of a springboard. I figured what's better than roasted squash? Roasted everything. I roasted the carrots and even the apple (apple needed much less time) for a hearty taste. Cooked the carrot whole (just peeled) and apples cut-side down. After removing the skins (apple skins were a tasty snack), and adding ingredients to pan, I took some boiling water and added it to the foil. That step allowed me to get all the yummy pan drippings. It was so nice. Cooked up a package of gnocchi and served the soup on top of a bed of gnocchi. 🙂
Lacey Baier
Wow, Kristi, that sounds great. Thanks for sharing your variation with us!
Barbara
Love this recipe..... I bought an acorn squash, but had no clue really what to do with it.... So I went searching on the internet and found this very yummy recipe.... Thank you!
Lacey Baier
Perfect! You're very welcome, Barbara 🙂
Glenn
I added a diced sweet potato and it enhanced the flavor even more!
Lacey Baier
Good to know! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Andita
I really liked this recipe. It was well balanced, easy to make and delish. I followed it exactly as written except I only had two squash on hand, luckily they were big ones and I used two apples because they were little ones. I had to increase the roasting time, again b/c the squash were so darn big and I ended up having to add some water to just get the liquid to cover the veggies during the simmer. The only thing I might try differently next time is one more carrot. It's hard to tell, maybe my carrots were too small like my apples. Darn you produce! Thanks for this, its a keeper.
Lacey Baier
Haha, those darn apples carrots! Thanks for the feedback, Andita 🙂
angelica
making this right now!
going to add kale 🙂
Lacey Baier
Ooh, I bet that made a delicious addition!
Lindsey
I'm not a huge fan of plain squash, so when my mom gave me some from her garden, I went on a hunt for some squash soup. Love this recipe! Turned out delicious and my family enjoyed it too! Thanks!
Lacey Baier
That's so cool, Lindsey. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nick
Just tried it and it turned out great. Thanks so much.
Lacey Baier
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it, Nick. You're so very welcome 🙂
Nina
I'm making this my daughter for Valentines day. It sounds like a warm & cozy meal. Neither of us have a date tonight!
Lacey Baier
I hope you and your daughter enjoyed the cozy soup 🙂
Sara
Came across your site while looking for healthier options for my family. Scaled down the recipe to fit for one acorn (perfect for me and my 2 yr old) and added some yellow currie. Smells good so far! Can't wait to try it!!
Lacey Baier
Oooh, I love the idea of adding in some curry! I wouldn't have ever thought of that. Thanks for the idea, Sara!
Jennifer
Found some acorn squash on sale today and decided to give this recipe a whirl! Delicious. Even my neighbor who isn't a fan of squash enjoyed it! Thanks!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nicole
I made this for dinner and it was great! thanks for the recipe. I subbed chicken broth because that's just what I happened to have. We have a winter CSA and get an acorn squash almost every week. I was getting really bored with it and ended up having 3 that we didn't use until I saw this recipe. Worked out great!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay! 🙂
Robert
I am currently on a 7 detox program in which we are only allowed to consume vegetables and no more than 3 servings of fruit a day. I had 3 giant acorns and wanted to make a soup but didn't have a recipe. I'm so happy your recipe came up high on my Google search because it was all vegetables (minus the croutons...which I'll add at another time when not on detox). So many other recipes had milk or cheese or other ingredients we cannot have. SO HAPPY!! My wife and I could not get enough. Thanx again!!!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Perfect! You are very welcome. Good luck on your program!!
angie
I made this tonight. The pics of the roasted squash so something sprinkled on them but i dont see that in the recipe. My family wasnt a fan but I thought it was good.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Angie -- sorry, I forgot to mention to lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper. I'm glad you still enjoyed it.
Amber
First time I've tried making soup and I loved! it, was so easy to make. Definitely going to make again
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hooray!! And congrats 🙂
Hannah
Thanks so much for the recipe, Lacey!
As I type this, the soup is simmering on the stove, filling the kitchen with the smell of harvest! YUM!
I had two acorn squashes and was wondering what to do with them, and when I saw this recipe called for three, I went and grabbed my carnival squash! I'm anxious to finally clear out my squash collection so they don't just go bad on me!
And what a great use for the acorns! My husband was getting tired of just sticking them in the oven with butter and brown sugar, but we both love soup, so this is perfect!
Also, I added a big ol' clove of garlic and substituted a Gala apple for Granny Smith since we don't have any of the greenies lying around the house.
I'm so excited to try this! Thanks again!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Always happy to help, Hannah! You are very welcome 🙂
stephanie
I made this for dinner tonight - easy (especially because I roasted the squash and prepped the veggies and spices earlier today) and so delicious. I only had one acorn so I adjusted the other ingredients by 1/2 or more. It's too bad that I didn't have more squash because I only got three servings out of what I made.
Thanks so much, I'll be making this again - and I need to try out some of your other recipes, this was my first!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the soup, Stephanie. I hope you enjoy my other recipes as well 🙂
Laura
I made cinnamon and sugar croutons to go with it this time. And, after making this soup three times, I ran out of acorn squash, so I used baby bear pumpkins. It's the perfect soup! Thanks so much, Lacey!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You're so welcome, Laura! Love the crouton idea!
Anna Claire
i just got an immersion blender myself so i need to try this!! perfect for a chilly day 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yep! Enjoy your new immersion blender!
amy
Delicious soup! Even the kids--after skeptical examination--exclaimed, "This is actually yummy!"
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay!!
Laura
Do you think a little coconut milk would be good? Creamy and vegan!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Laura! It may make it a bit sweeter, but it would be lovely and creamier too.
sara
Im going to make this today and add yogurt!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oooh, please share how it turns out! 🙂
Lexi
DELICIOUS! Took me longer to get the carrots to soften up. I should have chopped them smaller. After pureeing, I added heavy cream and wild rice. =d
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks for sharing, Lexi! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
brenda m
My daughter gave me three acorn squashes. I was going to stuff and bake one and I still might but it would compel me to buy another acorn squash to make this soup which I might just do on Saturday or before. Can't wait .... thanks for the spicy tips. Just what I was looking for.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I hope you get a chance to make the soup, Brenda! Thanks for stopping by.
Wendy
Your pictures are Gorgeous! They alone make me want to try your recipes!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Wendy!
Sylvia@bascooking
This soup is a treat for my eyes, perfect for a day like today.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Enjoy, Sylvia! 🙂
hannamay
This is great, can you share your recipe or any video tutorial, thank you for sharing..
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Hannamay! I'm actually working on video tutorials as we speak. I hope to share them soon. Thank you for your interest!