Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
This creamy, dairy-free roasted acorn squash soup is packed with the most amazing mix of sweet and savory flavors — it’s truly restaurant-worthy.
It features acorn squash roasted until it’s sweet and caramelized, sauteed carrots, celery, tart green apples, aromatic spices like allspice, clove, and cumin, and a touch of peanut butter to tie it all together.
It’s a warm and cozy dinner for a chilly fall night or a special first course for your holiday meal
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you're a soup lover like me, you'll have this acorn squash soup recipe on repeat from fall through the winter because:
- It’s packed with vegetables. And acorn squash is a great source of complex carbs, fiber, and beta-carotene (an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and cancer), so it’s good for you.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can have it ready and waiting for those busy nights.
- The Mediterranean/African flavors are so uniquely different.
- It’s an easy recipe with impressive flavors. I know there's a lot going on in this soup, but trust me, you will NOT be disappointed!
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some of the key ingredients you’ll need to make this roasted acorn squash soup. The thing I love about this soup is that the ingredients complement each other and add interesting flavors, but no one flavor overwhelms another.
See my recipe card for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.
Acorn squash. Choose a medium-sized one that weighs about 1 ½ lb.
Green apple. This adds a nice tart-sweetness to the soup.
Serrano pepper. I add one small minced pepper for a little bit of heat. Add more if you like it spicier.
Ginger. I always keep a jar of minced ginger in the refrigerator for recipes like this that only call for a little bit. It lasts for a long time.
Allspice, ground clove, cumin. Don’t skip these spices. They add an amazing blend of flavor.
Peanut butter. This adds a surprisingly delicious flavor, but the soup doesn’t taste like peanuts. It also makes the soup silky and creamy. I recommend natural, smooth peanut butter (the kind with the oil you have to stir in). It has a cleaner peanut flavor and no added sugar.
Substitutions and Variations
If you can’t find acorn squash, substitute Hubbard, butternut, or buttercup squash. Butternut squash is a bit sweeter than acorn squash, but it pairs nicely with the apple here as it does in my Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup.
I highly recommend roasting your squash, but if you’re short on time, you can microwave it (it just won’t have that caramelized flavor). Cut it in half and place the cut sides down in a microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave on high for about 12 minutes. Test with a fork to see if it’s soft.
For a vegan option, swap vegetable broth or stock for the chicken stock.
For a peanut-free option, omit the peanut butter and use an equal amount of natural almond butter instead. For nut-free, use sunflower butter.
If you don’t have fresh or jarred ginger, substitute ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger.
Step By Step Instructions
This delicious acorn squash soup comes together in a few quick steps.
First, roast the squash. Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise (with the ridges), and using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibers. You don’t have to peel the squash. Roast it in a 350ºF oven for about 40 minutes.
Second, chop the vegetables and apple, and and add them to the pot along with the garlic and ginger.
Third, saute the chopped vegetables and then add the spices to the pan. Toast the spices for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Fourth, add the stock and roasted squash to the pot.
Fifth, blend the soup until it’s smooth using an immersion blender.
Sixth, stir in the peanut butter, taste, and add extra seasoning if needed. I serve it with a sprinkle of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and a swirl of Greek yogurt.
Expert Tips
- Acorn squash is hard to cut, so use a sharp chef’s knife (a very worthwhile investment). I pierce the skin with the tip of the knife and then rock the knife down through the squash.
- If you have trouble cutting the squash in half, pierce it with the knife and microwave the whole squash for one to two minutes. That will soften the skin, making it easier to cut through.
- I highly recommend using an immersion blender to blend soups. I’ve had mine for over 30 years (really!), and I think it’s the most used tool in my kitchen. Stick it in your soup pot and stir it around as it blends.
- If you prefer to use a regular blender, puree the soup in batches. Only fill your blender about halfway with the hot soup because hot liquids expand, and there’s a risk of the hot soup flying out of the top of the blender. Trust me, I know because I did this once — before I had an immersion blender.
- If you’re serving this soup for the holidays, you can make it a day or two in advance.
What to Eat With Acorn Squash Soup
This soup is a delicious first course for Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner. Serve it in small cups or glasses. If you’re making it for a regular weeknight dinner, try these sides:
- Sweet potato cornbread
- Kale Apple Salad
- Roasted Fall Vegetables
- Airfryer Kale Chips With Garlic and Parmesan
Recipe FAQs
You can refrigerate leftover soup in a covered container for up to four days or freeze it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
All types of winter squash have a similar nutrition profile and are healthy choices. They’re all high in complex carbs and fiber, relatively low in calories, an excellent source of beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) and potassium. One cup of acorn squash has 56 calories, 15 g of carbs, 2 g of fiber, 1 g of protein, and just a trace of fat.
All acorn squash soup recipes are different, but this one is a good choice if you have diabetes. A serving has 27 g of carbs (2 carb choices), 8 g of protein, and 10 grams of healthy fats, so it's nicely balanced in macronutrients.
Other Related Soup Recipes
Do you love soup? Me too! Try these other cozy and delicious soup recipes.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Recipe
Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium acorn squash 1 ½ lb.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 2 medium celery stalks diced
- 1 medium green apple peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger jarred or fresh
- 1 med serrano pepper seeds and membranes removed, diced
- ¾ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- â…› teaspoon ground clove
- 3.5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock for vegan
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- â…› teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons roasted, salted pepitas (to garnish)
- optional plain Greek yogurt (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and fibers. Place it cut side up in a baking dish. Roast the squash for 40 minutes or until it's soft. Remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool.
- While the squash roasts, combine the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, apple, ginger, garlic, and serrano pepper in a Dutch oven or soup pot, and saute over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until golden.
- Add the allspice, cumin, and cloves. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock, and the cooked squash (flesh only) to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and then cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat, and using an immersion blender, blend for 45 seconds, or until smooth.
- Stir in the peanut butter. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Garnish with pepitas and a swirl of plain Greek yogurt if desired.
