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Creamy Acorn Squash Soup is a hearty, warm, and filling dinner that's perfect for cold nights. Spiced with cinnamon and lightly sweetened with maple syrup it’s the ultimate in comfort food and one of my absolute favorite soup recipes.
Serve this acorn squash soup with buttery croutons or hunks of crusty bread for delicious textural contrast. You won’t believe how quickly this silky smooth soup cooks up! Let’s make it, shall we?
Ingredients for Acorn Squash Soup
How to make creamy acorn squash soup
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
Ways to Cook Acorn Squash
- Roasted in the oven – Roasting the acorn squash in the oven will lead to a greater depth of flavor, but does take longer. After an hour in the oven the squash will have lovely golden brown and caramelized edges that will add another layer of flavor to the soup. This is my preferred way of preparing the acorn squash for the soup, but it is the most time consuming.
- In the Instant Pot – Cooking acorn squash in an Instant Pot is a great method when using it for soup because you don’t need to add any extra fats or oils to the squash. It comes out perfectly tender and ready for soup in less than 20 minutes!
- In the microwave – The quickest cooking method, making acorn squash in the microwave takes just 10 minutes! You’ll need to add a little butter to the squash halves before cooking, but that will only make the soup that much more delicious!
Whatever cooking method you choose, I recommend cooking the acorn squash a day or two in advance so when it's dinner time all you have to do is add the cooked squash to the soup to truly make this a 30 minute meal!
How to Freeze Creamy Soups
Freezing soups that have added dairy in them can be tricky. The dairy will often separate or curdle, and unfortunately, this soup is no exception. It’s best to freeze the soup before adding in the heavy cream, stirring it in later when serving. Here’s how to freeze this soup:
- Prepare the soup up to blending it smooth.
- Add the maple syrup, taste, and adjust seasonings.
- Cool to room temperature and place in air-tight containers or freezer-safe zip-top bags with the air squeezed out.
- Label with the contents and date and freeze for up to six months.
To Reheat Frozen Soup
- Remove the soup from the freezer and thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- Place pureed acorn squash soup in a large soup pot and heat until bubbling.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Other Great Creamy Soup Recipes
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Sausage Tortellini Soup (a personal favorite of mine!)
- Lasagna Soup
- Creamy Turkey Soup with Rice
Creamy Acorn Squash Soup
Equipment
- Soup Pot
- Immersion Blender or Countertop Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups cooked acorn squash
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot with a lid over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the oil is warmed, add the 1 cup chopped white onion, 1 cup chopped carrots, and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to coat and cook until onions have become soft and translucent, about five minutes.
- Add the 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, stirring to combine. Cook until garlic and ginger are fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add 3 cups cooked acorn squash and 4 cups chicken stock, stirring to combine. Taste and add more kosher salt as desired. Cover and boil for 15 minutes, or until carrots have softened.
- Using an immersion blender, or working carefully in batches with a countertop blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Stir in 1 ½ cups heavy cream and ¼ cup pure maple syrup. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, chile powder, or cinnamon, before serving.
Notes
- Refer to post on instructions for how to cook the acorn squash.
- Refer to post for freezing and reheating instructions.
Nutrition
Gilda Kensinger says
Very nice & easy
Joan Barlow says
Very nice recipe. I added some seasoning salts and spice mixtures. I will enjoy making this again.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Love to hear that, Joan! Happy soup season! 🙂
Julissa says
This was really good! I accidentally used vegetable broth instead of stock so it was a little watery after adding the heavy whipping cream but still delicious! I also did not add the maple syrup as it was as sweet as I wanted it to be without it! Highly recommend.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Julissa,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup and made it your own! Thanks for rating and reviewing 🙂
Amanda