Thai Acorn Squash Soup is a great vegetarian soup for fall, made with acorn squash, coconut milk, lime juice and red curry paste.

thai acorn squash soup pureed in bowl, garnished with cilantro leaves and sriracha

There are tons of recipe out there making a Thai flavored soup using butternut squash, but my fall CSA box came with two acorn squashes. As I love Thai flavors, I figured it was worth a shot to use acorn squash instead and I am SO GLAD I did. Not only is this squash recipe healthy, it's delicious!

What is an acorn squash?

An acorn squash is a green, winter squash that kind of looks like an enormous acorn. Creative name, right? Acorn squash can be served savory or sweet. Most savory recipes call for stuffing the squash with ingredients like sausage, rice and veggies and then roasting it in the oven. Sweet recipes will coat in it brown sugar or maple syrup and cinnamon, then roast it.

Like most varieties of squash, acorn squash has a mild flavor and requires other ingredients to really make it shine.

🥘 Ingredients for this recipe

acorn squash
olive oil
carrots
onion
garlic
ginger
Thai red curry paste
red pepper flakes
coconut milk
vegetable broth
lime juice
cilantro
Sriracha

🔪Instructions for this recipe

Roast the squash. Use a sharp knife to slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and rub the inside of the squash with olive oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until softened.
Meanwhile, cook the veggies. Add olive oil to a large saucepan and cook onion and carrot until softened. Add in garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Whisk in red curry paste, lime juice and red pepper flakes until veggies are coated. Then pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Add in the squash. Use a fork or spoon to scoop out the flesh.
Blend the soup. Transfer soup and squash to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. (You may need to work in two batches)
Garnish and serve. Portion soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and a few drops of Sriracha if desired.

FAQ's about acorn squash

Is acorn squash healthy? It is full of fiber and potassium so it's pretty healthy
How do I know if acorn squash is ripe? The squash will remain green, usually with one large orange spot. If it is more orange than green, it's very ripe. As long as there is no mold or rot, it is still safe to eat.
Can I microwave acorn squash? Absolutely! Winter squashes are really hard to cut through, so pierce it with a fork a few times and microwave for a minute or two to soften that harder outer skin, making it easier to slice.
How long does acorn squash last? Unlike other winter squashes that can hang out in your kitchen for weeks and weeks, an acorn squash is best eaten within 2 weeks.

Tools needed for this recipe

A very sharp chefs knife (Chicago Cutlery Santoku is my choice)
A high powered blender (Vivi the Vitamix lives on my kitchen counter)

Do you love soup? Check out some of my favorite soup recipes

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Thai Acorn Squash Soup

Thai Acorn Squash Soup is a great vegetarian soup for fall, made with acorn squash, coconut milk, lime juice and red curry paste.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: dinner, Soup

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: acorn squash healthy, soup recipes, thai recipes

Servings: servings

Calories: 238kcal

Author: NicholeL

Equipment

High powered blender, such as a Vitamix
very sharp chef's knife

Ingredients

2 whole acorn squash
2 tablespoon olive oil divided
1 cup onion diced
½ cup carrots diced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
3 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cup vegetable broth
15 oz unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sriracha optional
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Slice each squash in half from the top down (next to the stem). Scoop out the seeds and place open side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Roast for 1 hour or until the flesh of the squash is cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Add in the garlic and ginger and cook another minute, then whisk in the red curry paste, lime juice and red pepper flakes.
Add the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
When squash is cooked, remove from the oven and use a spoon or fork to remove the squash from the shell.
Transfer squash and soup ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth. *See Note
Transfer to bowls and garnish with cilantro and Sriracha.

Notes

Blending Soup: You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your blender and the max fill line. Steam needs to escape from the blender when you are blending hot foods, so remove the opening in the center of the lid. Loosely drape a kitchen towel on top to catch any splatters.

Nutrition