Acorn Squash Soup is a very healthy, nutritious, and easy-to-make soup recipe prepared using acorn squash, fresh ginger, and garlic, making it a perfect winter soup! This soup is low in fat and can be prepared in 30 minutes. Each serving comes under 250 calories!
The sweetness of the squash combined with sauteed garlic, onion, and ginger gives the soup a unique taste and amazing flavor. You can use any variety of squash or even pumpkin in the recipe.
This is one of the easiest and tastiest soups with very few ingredients that I have ever tried. For keeping the recipe vegan we have used olive oil to the recipe. For a non-vegan version, you can substitute oil with butter, and also consider adding a splash of cream.
Ingredients for Quick Acorn Squash Soup
- Acorn Squash - a small one-pound squash usually serves two people. You can substitute this with other squashes available locally. My favorite replacement is butternut squash.
- Onion, Garlic, and Ginger are aromatic vegetables. I prefer not to skip these as they add a well-rounded flavor to the soup. Store-bought or homemade ginger-garlic paste may be used as a substitute.
- Peppercorns add warmth and spiciness to the soup. These can be substituted with red pepper flakes, cayenne, red chili powder, etc.
- Olive oil for sauteing vegetables. Butter or any other neutral-flavored oil can be used as a substitute.
- Salt - to taste.
Refer to the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and their amounts.
Step by Step Recipe
Step 1 - Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, ginger, and garlic and saute till it becomes translucent. Add squash cubes (skin peeled off), peppercorns, salt to taste, and around half a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes till the squash becomes soft.
Step 2 - Blend together all the ingredients to form a smooth paste. Don't add any water while blending.
Step 3 - Transfer the paste to a pan and bring it to a boil. Adjust the salt and add water if you like to have thin soup.
Thick and Creamy Acorn Squash Soup is ready. Garnish it with red pepper flakes, cilantro, and drizzle olive oil (or add a slice of butter), and serve hot.
Serving suggestion - Serve this with your favorite bread or dinner rolls, such as buttery brioche buns, cheesy bread twists, artisan bread loaves, garlic breadsticks, etc. You can also pair this soup with salads such as healthy quinoa salad, creamy potato salad, fresh dill and cucumber salad, etc.
Expert Chef Tips
- For a more robust caramelized flavor, roast the squash for about 40 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F oven.
- For a creamier soup, add a splash of heavy cream. Vegans can add some coconut cream or cashew paste.
- To make this soup for a holiday party, consider adding other holiday spices such as bay leaf, cinnamon, sage, etc.
- Consider garnishing the soup with grated parmesan, fried sage leaves, basil leaves, chili oil, crispy bacon bits, croutons, crackers, etc.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
The acorn squash soup can be prepared ahead of time and kept at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
Any leftover soup, or if a big batch of soup is made well ahead of time, can be stored in an airtight container or pot for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
The soup also freezes well. It can be frozen for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw to room temperature and then reheat on the stovetop or microwave before serving.
FAQs
Acorn squash is smaller in size compared to butternut squash. Acorn squash usually has a green exterior skin with hints of orange, whereas the skin of butternut squash is pale yellow in color. The skin is harder to peel in the case of Acorn squash. The flesh is fibrous and less sweet in an Acorn squash. In contrast, the flesh is thicker, sweeter, less fibrous (smooth), and moist in the case of butternut squash.
Yes. You can add shrimp, chicken, beef, etc. Add it when sauteing aromatic veggies and cook it along with the squash.
Any fleshy, sweet winter squash or pumpkin can be used to make this soup. Some examples are Acorn squash, Butternut squash, Banana squash, Carnival squash, Honey nut squash, Hubbard squash, Kabocha squash, Pumpkin squash, etc.
More Soups to Love
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Recipe card
Creamy Acorn Squash Soup (Simple and Healthy)
Ingredients
- 1 medium Acorn Squash between 1 to 1.5 lbs
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil or butter
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 inch Ginger chopped
- ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns about 6 to 8 corns
- ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- ½ cup Water use more to adjust the consistency of the soup
Instructions
Step 1 - Prep Acorn Squash
- Peel the skin and chop the squash into cubes and wash them. See notes if you want to use roasted acorn squash.1 medium Acorn Squash
Step 2 - Saute the veggies and cook the squash
- Heat olive oil/butter in a pan on medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic and saute until onion becomes translucent.2 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 medium Onion, 4 cloves Garlic, 1 inch Ginger
- Add acorn squash cubes (from Step 1), peppercorns, salt to taste, and around half a cup of water (see notes) and bring it to a boil.½ teaspoon Black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Switch the flame to medium, cover it with a lid, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the squash becomes soft.
Step 3 - Prepare the soup
- Blend together all the ingredients to form a thick and smooth paste. I have not added any water while blending.
- Transfer the paste to a pan and boil for 2 minutes. Adjust the salt and add water (see notes) if you like to have thin soup.
- Creamy Acorn Squash Soup is ready. Garnish it with red pepper flakes, cilantro, and drizzle olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Chef Tips
- For a more robust caramelized flavor, roast the acorn squash for about 40 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F oven. Add this directly to the blender along with water, sauteed onions, ginger, and garlic.
- For a creamier soup, add a splash of heavy cream. Vegans can add some coconut cream or cashew paste.
- To make this soup for a holiday party, consider adding other holiday spices such as bay leaf, cinnamon, sage, etc.
- Consider garnishing the soup with grated parmesan, fried sage leaves, basil leaves, chili oil, crispy bacon bits, croutons, crackers, etc.
Storage Instructions
- The acorn squash soup can be prepared ahead of time and kept at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
- Any leftover soup, or if a big batch of soup is made well ahead of time, can be stored in an airtight container or pot for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
- The soup also freezes well. It can be frozen for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw to room temperature and then reheat on the stovetop or microwave before serving.
Nutrition
Note: This recipe was originally published in December 2015. The recipe was slightly modified in June 2023, and we added expert chef tips and FAQs to improve the post.
Traditionallymodernfood
Perfect for this chil weather.. Yum
Kushi
Thank you Vidya 🙂
Puneet
This looks super delicious and super healthy!!
Kushi
Thank you Puneet 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs
Ginger and squash go so well together! Love the combo. Happy Holidays, and see you next year!
Kushi
Thank you and same to you 🙂
Nava Krishnan
So good it looks and so good I know the flavours.
Kushi
Thank you Nava 🙂
Revathi Palani
I have never tried cooking with squash. Since I love ginger and garlic flavors, I guess this squash soup would be one which I love 🙂
Kushi
Thank you Revathi 🙂