Acorn Squash Soup Recipe

This copycat creamy vegan winter acorn squash soup recipe with roasted carrots is a vegan version of Panera’s Acorn Squash soup. Its a soul-warming, toe tingling soup that will make you lick your bowl clean!

My favorite soup at Panera has to be their “Acorn Squash Soup”. They make it so good and I always look forward to eating it when in season.

So, what is the problem? It’s not vegan!!

I have friends and family members who can’t enjoy it because they don’t tolerate dairy too well.

For their sake, I turned Panera’s acorn squash soup into a dairy-free version.

It always gets a two thumbs up when I serve it.

Tips for making this soup

• Microwave the acorn first and let it cool enough to handle before cutting into it. If you can get a pre-cut version, that’s even better.
• Use crinkle cut carrots because they roast faster
• Place the ginger in the acorn before you place it in the oven. The ginger flavor will infuse into the acorn.
• I recommend using coconut water over using vegetable broth. Its a personal choice to make acorn soup without broth because I think coconut water makes it taste better.
• I used agave to sweeten the soup, but maple syrup would work too. Or, keep it keto by eliminating the sugar altogether.
• After blending and transferring the soup to pan, there is always some soup pulp that is stuck in the processor. I add a little coconut milk and coconut water to the blend and blend for about 30 sec. That mixes up any remaining pulp and there is not waste.

An overview of the ingredients

• Acorn Squash
• Butter
• Agave
• Salt, Ginger, Turmeric
• Carrots
• Rosemary, Oregano

Get the whole list of ingredients and printable recipe below.

Answering common questions

Here are some questions I think you may have while you are making this roasted acorn squash soup.  Feel free to ask me anything about this soup in the comments below.

How to thaw frozen soup?

• If you can, the night before, move the frozen soup from the freezer section to the refrigerator part of your fridge.
• In the morning, place the soup in the container in a hot water bath. That just means put the soup container in a pan filled with hot water.
• The soup should take about 20 minutes to separate from the container. At this point, transfer that big chunk of soup into a soup pan.
• Heat the soup until it’s fully liquid and hot enough to serve.

Are there easier or different ways to thaw the soup? Absolutely! But, this is my preferred method because it retains most of the taste and texture of the fresh soup.

Whatever method you choose is fine, except microwaving it. I know it’s the easiest thing to do, but resist the urge. Microwaving it just ruins the taste, texture and remove the nutrients from the soup.

Choosing the right acorn

To get the perfect stuffed acorn squash recipe, you need the perfect acorn. That’s my humble opinion. 🙂

• Acorn squash comes in all shapes and sizes. Choose the one that is symmetrical and has pointy end. They are sweeter and “meatier” on the inside

• Choose an acorn that is evenly colored. That means it should be green all around. Don’t choose acorns with orange or red patches.
• The acorn should be firm all around. Avoid acorn squash with soft patches. That just means that the acorn ripened unevenly.
• I choose acorn that is 2lbs or less. They tend to be sweeter. The larger acorns tasted bitter, especially when making an acorn squash soup

How to cook it

• First, the acorn squash needs to be washed thoroughly. Place it under running water and clean the groves. Use a (Affiliate Link) veggie brush to get in between the groves.

• After you dry it, its time to microwave acorn squash. Microwave it on normal setting for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. If your acorn is smaller, microwave it for 3 minutes

• Use a pair of mittens to remove the acorn from the microwave. Place it on a baking tray and let it cool (about 7 min)

• Once it has cooled, place it on its side. Use a long, sharp knife to cut into it. Place knife in between the groove of the acorn and press down.

• Cut it into half and place it side by side.

• Use a round spoon (like a soup spoon) to begin scooping out the insides. Be sure to scoop out all the seeds and the thread. You don’t want an acorn squash soup where you are pulling out threads from the bowl

• When done, take a minute to admire the acorn squash. It is a beautiful gourd from the inside.

At this point its ready to go into the oven after you flavor it according to the recipe instructions.

If you don’t like acorn soup, then you can stuff it!

How to make this soup

Place the acorn squash cut side up on a tray. Start by rubbing 1 Tbsp of butter on the . Cut the remaining butter and place it inside the acorn

Measure about 2″ piece of ginger and about 0.5″ in width. It doesn’t have to be exact. Cut it into half and place it inside the acorn

Brush the inside of the acorn squash with agave (2 Tbsp)

Sprinkle about 1 tsp of turmeric on the acorn squash. Place in a 400° preheated oven for 45 min or until they pass the knife-test.

At about the 30 min mark of the acorn cooking, prepare the carrots

Place crinkle carrots in a glass bowl

Add a few leaves of Rosemary and ⅛ tsp of pink salt to the carrots

Add 1 tsp of oil to the carrots and 1 tsp of oregano to the carrots. Mix well

Place carrots on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil and place them inside the oven, next to the acorn squash

When they are both done, remove from the oven and let them cool to touch

Scoop out the acorn pulp using a round spoon.

In a food processor, add the carrots. Use a food processor or a vitamix

Add 2 Tbsp coconut milk, 1 tsp of peeled ginger, 1 Tbsp agave and nutritional yeast to the processor

Mix well until everything is blended to a thick consistency

In a pan, add 1 tsp vegan butter or olive oil (optional)

Set the pan to medium heat and gently transfer the blended acorn squash in the pan. Mix a little coconut milk in the blender to remove any extra pulp.

Add ¼ cup coconut milk and 1 cup of water.

Add ½ tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp of pink salt, 1 tsp agave and mix well

Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes and then serve immediately

Have you tried my Instant pot quinoa soup, vegan tomato soup and my Minestrone soup?

What to serve with the soup

Soup and salad is a delicious combination right? Or how about a grilled cheese sandwich with a big bowl of this acorn squash soup?

Here are some of my favorites to serve with acorn squash soup

• Farro Salad
• Vegan Caesar Salad
• Spinach Salad
• Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich
• Mushroom Grilled Cheese
• Vegan dinner rolls with everything bagel seasoning

What is your favorite thing to eat with soup?

Sharing is caring

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Acorn Squash Soup Recipe

Rini

Copycat Panera's Acorn Squash soup recipe that is so easy to make. This soup is a very comforting bowl of soup on a cold winter night.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 3 people

Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

• food processor or blender
• 6 quart soup pot

Ingredients

  

For the acorn squash

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 Tbsp butter I used grass-fed butter
• 2 Tbsp agave
• ½ tsp pink salt
• 2 Inch ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

For the carrots

• ⅔ cup carrots crinkle carrots cook fastest
• 5 leaves rosemary
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• ⅛ tsp pink salt

For the soup

• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk
• ¼ cup coconut water I used Bai coconut water
• 1 tsp butter I used grass-fed butter
• 1 cup water
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp pink salt

Instructions

 

To make the acorn squash

• Preheat oven to 400°
• Thoroughly wash the acorn squash and dry it
• Place the acorn squash in the microwave
• Microwave it for 3 minutes and 30 seconds
• Wait for it to cool to touch and then remove it from the microwave
• Place the acorn on its side on a baking tray
• Position a large knife on a grove of the acorn and cut it into half.
• Scoop out all the seeds and threads inside the squash
• Start by rubbing 1 Tbsp of butter on the. Cut the remaining butter and place it inside the acorn
• Cut the ginger in half and place inside each acorn
• Brush the inside of the acorn squash with agave
• Sprinkle turmeric powder on the acorn squash
• Place oven for 45 min or until they pass the knife-test.
• At about the 30 min mark of the acorn cooking, prepare the carrots

Prepare the carrots

• Place crinkle carrots in a glass bowl
• Add a few leaves of Rosemary and ⅛ tsp of pink salt to the carrots
• Add 1 tsp of oil to the carrots and 1 tsp of oregano to the carrots. Mix well
• Place carrots on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil and place them inside the oven, next to the acorn squash
• When both squash and carrots are done, remove from the oven and let them cool to touch

Assembling the soup

• Scoop out the acorn pulp using a round spoon.
• In a food processor, add the carrots
• Add 2 Tbsp coconut milk, peeled ginger, agave and nutritional yeast to the processor
• Mix well until everything is blended to a thick consistency
• In a pan, add 1 tsp vegan butter or olive oil (optional)
• Set the pan to medium heat and gently transfer the blended acorn squash in the pan. Mix a little coconut milk in the blender to remove any extra pulp.
• Add ¼ cup coconut milk and 1 cup of water.
• Add ginger powder, pink salt, agave and mix well
• Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes and then serve immediately

Notes

** Calories information is approximate.

** This post was modified on Dec 26, 2022 at 8:23pm.  Removed vegan butter as an ingredient and added grass-fed butter instead. 

Keyword creamy vegan soups, how to cook acorn squash, how to make acorn squash soup