Velvety Acorn Squash Soup (Printer-friendly)

Velvety acorn squash blended with cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A comforting vegetarian soup in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium acorn squash (about 2 lbs total), halved and seeded
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1 cup water
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

→ Seasonings

08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Garnish

13 - Toasted pumpkin seeds
14 - Fresh chives, chopped
15 - Cream for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush cut sides of acorn squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place cut side down on prepared sheet.
02 - Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until flesh is tender. Cool slightly, then scoop out flesh and discard skins.
03 - In a large pot, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
04 - Add roasted squash flesh, vegetable broth, water, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
05 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in cream or coconut milk. Adjust seasoning to taste. Reheat gently if needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped chives, and a drizzle of cream if desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The natural sweetness of roasted acorn squash means you barely need any added sugar, just cinnamon and nutmeg to let it shine.
  • It comes together in just an hour, but tastes like you spent all afternoon tending to it.
  • One pot, one blender, and suddenly you've got a velvety soup that impresses without any fuss.
02 -
  • Roasting the squash instead of boiling it concentrates the flavor and gives the soup a deeper, richer taste that you can't get any other way.
  • Don't skip tasting and adjusting the spices at the end—nutmeg and cinnamon can vary in strength, and you want them to enhance, not overpower, the natural squash sweetness.
03 -
  • If your squash are large, one might be enough, but it's better to have slightly too much than to run out of that precious roasted flesh.
  • Make sure your immersion blender is fully submerged before turning it on, or you'll end up with soup on your ceiling instead of in your bowl.
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