Roasted Acorn Squash Soup (Higher Protein)
Creamy Roasted Acorn Squash Soup! Roasted acorn squash, carrots, garlic and onion with silken tofu for higher protein and a more satisfying soup. Perfect for the holidays!
This acorn squash soup has so many wonderful things going for it. It’s made entirely on a sheet pan (and then quickly blended into a creamy soup!) and has silken tofu added to it for a higher protein soup.
It’s so yummy as a simple dinner or lunch, and pretty enough to serve during the holidays.
I’ve been on a major squash kick lately, I shared these sausage stuffed acorn squash a few weeks ago and my roasted honeynut and delicata squash salad recipe the week before.
And now, we’re roasting squash alongside a few other aromatic vegetables and blending them into a creamy soup. It’s naturally sweet and perfectly flavored for a comforting fall or winter meal.
See below for more details on how to make this acorn squash soup or scroll down to the recipe below.
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
This acorn squash soup is pretty straightforward– you need acorn squash, carrots, onion, garlic and a little silken tofu to help blend everything together.
You can use other squash if you can’t find acorn, but I really like the subtle sweetness of acorn squash in this soup recipe. I also have a slow cooker butternut squash soup recipe and a ginger apple squash soup recipe.
Yes, you read that I’m calling for an entire head of garlic here.
The garlic flavor mellows a lot once it’s roasted and it’s not pungent like raw garlic! For ease, chop off the top of the garlic head so that the cloves are exposed without the papery wrapper and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in foil or parchment paper to prevent burning and let soften and cook for 20 minutes while you roast the squash.
Then, you’ll remove the foil or parchment and squeeze out the cloves. They will be light brown and very soft, almost spreadable. PS- the technique is a must for homemade garlic bread! Spread the softened cloves with a little softened butter and salt and then spread on bread and toast.
You cannot taste the tofu here, but a little silken tofu helps to add body and a little more protein to this soup recipe. I recommend silken, but I tested this with firm and it works in a pinch!
How to Make this Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Prep Veggies
Prep your vegetables according to the directions, then drizzle with plenty of olive oil and the spices. Drizzle olive oil right onto the cut garlic head and sprinkle with salt. Cover the garlic head with foil or parchment paper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Roast and Puree
Remove the garlic and set aside. Flip the squash over (cut side down) and add 2 cups of broth to the roasting dish. Roast another 20 minutes until the vegetables are very, very soft. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add to a blender along with the cooked onion, carrots and any juices from the pan. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender and add remaining 2 cups vegetable broth and tofu. Blend until creamy and pureed.
Serve
Divide into bowls and enjoy. I like to drizzle with olive oil, black pepper and pepitas for crunch. As with most creamy soups, it’s great with bread or grilled cheese.
Tips for Success
Your roasting pan does most of the work here, but make sure it’s large enough for your vegetables to be on it and for adding broth the second half of roasting.
I ended up using my large baking stone for this, which has a high enough side to hold the broth, but many baking sheets will not work. You can also divide your squash and vegetables into two baking sheets if that’s all you have. Adding the broth the second half of cooking prevents the vegetables from burning or the squash from drying out.
Make sure to add all the juice from the roasting pan as you can to your blender as this is where much of the flavor and moisture for the acorn squash soup come from.
You don’t have to garnish this, but for extra richness, I really like a drizzle of good olive oil (this brand is my current favorite and I’ve got a 15% off discount code using this link) along with freshly ground black pepper. Microgreens and pepitas are nice for added crunch!
Serving Suggestions
I love a soup and a salad combo. My ultimate favorite meal is soup, salad and bread! Maybe it’s because I spent so much of my college and grad school days at Panara but it’s hard to imagine creamy soup like this one without crusty bread!
If you like the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese combo, try this acorn squash soup with a grilled cheese. A grilled cheese with sliced granny smith apple for tart sweetness is a very nice pairing!
For a soup and salad combo, try this one with my kale harvest salad or my sweet potato and quinoa salad.
More Winter Soup Recipes
If you make this roasted acorn squash soup, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating! Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Roasted Acorn Squash Soup (Higher Protein)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
- 1 small head garlic
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots, chopped into large 3-4″ chunks
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 3/4 cup silken tofu*
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Garnishes, as desired: olive oil, black pepper, pepitas, bread croutons, micro greens
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prep the veggies: halve and remove any seeds from the squash. For the garlic, peel away any loose, papery outer layers, but leave the cloves intact. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic head to expose the tops of the cloves. Quarter the onion, and chop the carrots into large chunks.
- Place the veggies into a large roasting dish, cut side up. Drizzle the olive oil liberarly over the veggies, then season with the thyme, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Drizzle more olive oil onto the garlic, then cover the top of the garlic head with a little foil to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Place in the oven and let roast for 20 minutes. The tops of the squash and veggies should start to caramelize slightly and the garlic should be soft. Remove the garlic from the oven and set aside. Flip the squash over and add 2 cups of vegetable broth to the roasting dish. Place back in the oven and cook another 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the squash and add to the base of a blender along with the softened onion, carrots and any liquid from the roasting pan. Squeeze out the garlic from the head (it should come out easily when you squeeze at the base) and add to the blender. Add the remaining 2 cups vegetable broth, silken tofu and lemon juice. Puree until very creamy and smooth.
- Taste, adding more salt if needed, or more lemon if the soup needs a little more brightness or if the squash is tasting too sweet. If the soup needs more sweetness, add in a little maple syrup.
- Divide into bowls and serve! I like to garnish with a drizzle of good olive oil, more black pepper and pepitas for crunch. Toasted bread croutons or microgreens for a garnish will also work!