This easy and healthy curried acorn squash cream soup is the perfect fall comfort food. Sweet and spicy, creamy and savory, this simple potage is also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, vegetarian, flourless, nut-free and sugar-free.
Oh, my. This one was a real success. If you like your soup really creamy, full of flavor and just a little spicy, this one is for you. I would serve this roasted acorn squash cream soup in any fine restaurant, any day, it turned out that good.
Part of the reason why it turned out so good is the amount of attention to detail in every preparation step. A good soup isn't hard to make, it just needs to be made the right way.
Curried Acorn Squash Cream Soup
A lot of the flavor in this recipe comes from the caramelized onions. They have to be browned the right way to provide a maximum of flavor, and that is where a good cast iron pan will shine. Don't forget to deglaze your pan with chicken broth and scrape it with a wooden spoon afterward, to capture all those precious little bits of flavor. Yes, my friends, attention to detail. That is what makes the difference between good and amazing, always.
Bonus Recipe: smoked paprika roasted acorn squash seeds.
I love those. If you have extra time, I suggest you keep a handful of seeds to bake these babies. They are really simple to make and way better (and healthier) than croutons in my opinion. Only 3 ingredients, plus you can bake these while your acorn squash is roasting in the oven. Either keep them as a snack and/or sprinkle a few of them on top of your soup. Delicious.
Roasting the squash is very simple, but make sure you have a long sharp knife on hand and take your time while you cut your squashes in half. Here is my technique to properly and safely cut a squash, with relative ease:
Start by placing your squash on a thick/heavy cutting board and place the knife in the center of your squash, with the edge touching the skin. Hold the knife firmly by the handle with your main hand and with your second hand, give a few gentle "slaps" with your palm, open-handed, on the top of your blade, to slowly drive the knife through the thick skin. Then, when your knife has gone through the skin, slowly apply pressure on the knife to drive it straight down. Keep your fingers away from the blade at all times.
Another delicious way to serve this soup is in acorn squash bowls. Simply roast 3 more squashes and use the halves as edible bowls! It is a fantastic way to serve this delicious soup... and a fabulous way to impress your guests!
Recipe
Curried Acorn Squash Cream Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
Roasting the Squash Halve
- 3 acorn squashes cut in half and seeded
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
The Broth
- 2 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
- 2 onions sliced
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon ground curry
Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds (Optional)
- Handful of acorn squash seeds
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Place the squash halves face up on a large baking sheet. Brush the flesh with olive oil, kosher salt, and some black pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top looks caramelized.
- Optional: Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper then mix a handful of seeds with the ingredients in the "Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds" section in a mixing bowl. Spread the seeds on the parchment paper and roast for about 15-20 minutes. (Try removing as much flesh as possible from the seeds)
- Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoon butter (or coconut oil) in a cast iron pan and spread the onion evenly into the pan. Brown for about 4-6 minutes over medium heat without stirring. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Deglaze with chicken stock and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a large pot.
- Scoop out the acorn squash flesh and add to the pot. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder and bring to a boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer, covered, for about 10-15 minutes.
- Either use an immersion blender or normal mixer to liquefy the soup. I prefer the second option, though you should allow the soup to cool down a few minutes before processing if you decide to do it this way.
- Stir in coconut milk and serve.
- Optional: Top with roasted acorn squash seeds.
