Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

When the weather starts getting chilling outside, I start gravitating towards my soup recipes.  This delicious roasted acorn squash soup will warm up your entire body.  It’s so healthy, low on calories, vegetarian and vegan appealing.  In the fall, you will start seeing squash on sale at every grocery store and farmers market.  Go for it, grab a variety of squashes. This recipe and many others are fun to make.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 acorn squashes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 3/4 cups vegetable stock

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a sheet pan baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Cut the acorn squash in half, from the stem to the tip of the bottom. Clean out the seeds and strings inside each squash.
4. Lightly drizzle a little bit of olive oil all over the halves. Season with salt and pepper. Put squash face side down on baking sheet. This will help steam the squash as it roasts in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes.
5. Once cool, remove flesh from skin by using a spoon and scooping out the flesh. Discard skin and set flesh aside.
6. In a large deep pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add carrots, apple, shallot and onions and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Once tender, add ginger, sage, cayenne, allspice, squash flesh and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove pot from heat and puree mixture, either with immersion blender, a blender or a food processor.
8. Once pureed, season with any additional salt or pepper to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced red onion or apples, if desired.   Prep and cooking time -is approximately 70 minutes.