Baked acorn squash bowls are filled with a creamy roasted veggie soup packed with aromatics and spices like thyme and cinnamon. This Creamy Fall Soup in Acorn Squash Bowls is topped with pumpkin seeds and toasted sage, it’s a show-stopping entree for fall-themed meals.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
This creamy butternut squash soup is served in gorgeous, baked acorn squash bowls for the ultimate show-stopping entree. It’s not exactly an effortless recipe, though. You will need to plan ahead. Despite this, it’s worth every bit of effort.
Roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots are the main ingredients. Sautéed onion and garlic also help build the flavor profile with a bit of spiciness. Finally, aromatics like thyme and sage add subtle herby, minty notes. Although naturally sweet and buttery, the soup’s creaminess actually comes from coconut milk. Blended until smooth, this soup is comforting, decadent, and perfect.
For a lovely crunch, pumpkin seeds and toasted sage are added on top. However, other toppings like crispy bacon and parmesan cheese go great with it too. A swirl of heavy cream also makes it instantly prettier. Served with other dishes like pork chops and turkey, it’s the perfect addition to any fall-themed meal.
Why You’ll Love This Fall Soup
All the spotlight will be on this soup the minute it hits the table, but here are more reasons to love it:
- Nutrient-rich – Made with roasted veggies and coconut milk, this creamy fall soup is extremely healthy. Plus, the bowls get extra points for nutrients!
- Fall-themed – Packed with acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots, it has all the flavors of fall veggies.
- One-pot – There’s a baking tray involved, but the actual cooking happens in one pot.
Recipe Ingredients
There’s quite a handful of ingredients, but it’s absolutely worth it. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient amounts.
For the Squash Bowls
- Acorn squash – Feel free to use small butternut squash too.
- Olive oil – Canola, vegetable, and corn oil are also fine.
- Sugar – Granulated and light brown sugar both work for this recipe.
- Salt and pepper
For the Soup
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion – This has a much mellower taste, but you can also use white onion.
- Garlic – Nothing beats fresh garlic. However, you can add 1/4 tsp of garlic powder for every clove in the recipe.
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potato – Red yams are a great substitute.
- Carrots
- Vegetable broth – Chicken broth works too. If possible, try to use the low-sodium kind.
- Fresh thyme – For every tsp of fresh thyme, you can use 1 tsp of dried thyme.
- Sage leaves – It adds a slight minty flavor, but you can also leave it out.
- Bay leaves
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon – If you don’t have any, adding 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg can make up for some of the earthiness.
- Full-fat coconut milk – Make sure it’s unsweetened or your soup will taste more like dessert. You can also use heavy cream.
For Serving
- Kale chips – Carrot chips and beet chips are great substitutes.
- Pomegranate arils
- Pumpkin seeds – Sesame seeds and toasted almonds add similar nuttiness and crunch.
- Toasted sage leaves
How to Make Acorn Squash Bowls
Making these bowls is easy, just make sure they’re fork-tender so you can actually eat them.
- Prepare the tray. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease it with non-stick baking spray. You can also use parchment paper without the need for any non-stick spray. Set it aside. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Scoop out the seeds. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the acorn squash is half. Then use a spoon to remove the seeds, being careful not to carve too much into the squash. Brush it with olive oil, sprinkle with sugar, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake. With the flesh side-up, pop the acorn squash into the oven for 20 minutes. Turn it over so the skin is now facing up and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven when they’re fork-tender and set the bowls aside. Baking time will depend on the size and amount of flesh on each acorn squash.
How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Potatoes & Carrots
Acorn squash bowls aside, this butternut squash soup is very simple. Coconut milk is the key to its creaminess.
- Roast the veggies. Spread the butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrots in the prepared baking sheet. Make sure they don’t overlap too much, so do it in two trays if you have to. Roast them as the acorn squash bowls bake. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (at 400 F).
- Sauté the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another minute. The mixture should be fragrant.
- Pour the broth in. Add the roasted veggies, broth, thyme, sage, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt and pepper into the pot. Mix to combine. Bring to a simmer and let the mixture cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk. Pour the coconut milk in, stir well, and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat. Use an immersion blender to process the soup until it’s smooth. You can also use a regular blender, but you might have to do it in batches and then pour it back in the pot.
- Serve. Remove the roasted acorn squash from the oven and fill with hot soup. Top each bowl with kale chips, pomegranate arils, pumpkin seeds or a spoonful of cream and swirl it in.
Tips for Success
Don’t let anything get in the way of these perfect acorn squash bowls filled with creamy soup. Here are some tips to make them:
- Skip the bowls. The squash bowls are an important component of this soup, visually and taste-wise. However, you can skip making them if you’re in a rush. Serve the soup in regular bowls instead.
- Don’t overcook the bowl. Bake the acorn squash bowls until fork-tender and then remove them from the oven. Overcooking will soften them too much, meaning they won’t hold up well to use as bowls.
- Cook the veggies in the broth. Roasting the veggies gives the soup a more complex flavor profile, but you can also cook them in the broth. You will need extra time for them to cook through, though.
- Add beet. Dice beet and roast it with the rest of the veggies. It’ll add a nice sweetness to the soup.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy fall soup is already impressive enough as is, but adding a couple more toppings can take it to the next level. Bits of crispy bacon, shredded parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil can add crunch, tang, and richness.
Try it with my Air Fryer Turkey Breast, Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Chops, and Crockpot Ham as mains. With simple sides like my Easy Green Bean Casserole and Creamy Ham Casserole, it’ll be the best fall-inspired meal you’ve had in a long time.
How to Store Leftovers
Once cooled, you can store the soup in an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Reheat it by popping it into the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm. You can also heat it in a pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Can I Freeze Butternut Squash Soup?
Pour the soup into a freezer-friendly container once it has come to room temperature. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Transfer it to the fridge the night before you’re ready to eat it and place it on the counter the next day to finish thawing.
Reheat it in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or in a pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. If the coconut milk has separated, blend the soup for 30 seconds to incorporate it again.
Creamy Fall Soup in Acorn Squash Bowls
Ingredients
For the squash bowls:
- 2 medium acorn squash, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the soup:
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1” cubes
- 1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1” cubes
- 4 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2” pieces
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 4 sage leaves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
For serving:
- Kale chips
- Pomegranate arils
- Pumpkin seeds
- Toasted sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (if using foil, spray with non-stick spray).
- Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds (see tips), brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.
- Place on the cookie sheet cut side up and bake for 20 minutes, then flip upside down and continue baking for another 25 minutes.
- To make the soup: Place the butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrots, on a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (or parchment paper), and place in the oven with the squash bowls for 20 minutes.
- Once the diced vegetable mixture is done cooking, heat the olive oil in a large soup pan, then add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the roasted vegetables, the broth, thyme, sage, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the burner and blend till smooth with an immersion blender. (If you do not have an immersion blender, add half the soup to the blender and blend till smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Purée the remainder of the soup and pour all the soup back into the pan.)
- Remove the roasted acorn squash from the oven and fill with the hot soup. Serve the soup with kale chips, pomegranate arils, pumpkin seeds or a spoon of cream on top.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Fall Soup Recipes:
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup
- One Pot Bacon Corn Chowder
- Rosemary Ham and Bean Soup
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