Description

This Roasted Acorn Squash Soup is a velvety, comforting fall-inspired recipe featuring caramelized acorn squash, sweet Honeycrisp apples, roasted garlic, and fragrant Chinese five spice. Roasting the vegetables enhances their natural sweetness and depth of flavor, then blending everything into a smooth soup creates a warm, nourishing dish perfect for cozy dinners or entertaining guests.

Ingredients

Scale

Soup Base

2 acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved
1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored and quartered
3 cups vegetable broth
12 sage leaves (finely chopped or fried, optional)

Optional Garnish

2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for roasting the vegetables.
Prepare Squash: Cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds (which can be saved for roasting separately if desired), remove any stringy bits, then cut each half into quarters.
Arrange and Season: Place the squash quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle the Chinese five spice powder and half of the sea salt evenly over the squash. Add the halved onion, halved garlic head, and quartered apple onto the same baking sheet.
Roast Vegetables: Roast the squash, onion, garlic, and apple in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the squash is caramelized and tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.
Cool and Prepare for Blending: Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly. Remove the flesh from the squash skin and add it to a blender. Peel the papery skin off the roasted onion and add the onion flesh to the blender. Squeeze the softened roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them, along with the roasted apples and vegetable broth.
Blend Soup: Blend all the ingredients together for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth with no chunks remaining.
Serve and Garnish: Optionally, serve the soup topped with a drizzle of heavy cream and garnish with finely chopped or fried sage leaves for added flavor and presentation.

Notes

The roasted squash seeds can be saved and roasted separately for a crunchy snack.
Chinese five spice powder adds warmth and depth but can be adjusted or omitted based on your taste.
Using Honeycrisp apples enhances the sweetness and balances the savory flavors.
Heavy cream is optional for a richer soup but can be omitted for a lighter vegan option.
For extra flavor, fry the sage leaves in a bit of olive oil until crispy before garnishing.