Spiced acorn squash soup

While there's plenty of pumpkin soup recipes out there, this creamy and aromatic brew is one of the more luxurious.

Spiced acorn squash soup Credit: Desiree Nielsen

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash, halved and de-seeded
• olive oil, for roasting
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ large potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg, grated
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• ¼ cup (60 ml) cream
• 2 tsp (10 ml) lime juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC (375°F).

2. Brush squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Line a tray with baking paper and place squash cut-side down. Roast in oven until soft, about 50 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool. Once until cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh of roasted squash and set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

4. Add onion, potato, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon and nutmeg to the saucepan and cook for a few minutes.

5. Add roasted squash flesh, stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and add lime juice.

6. Cook for 30 minutes, or until potato is tender.

7. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Transfer to pitcher.

8. Pour into individual bowls to serve. Alternatively, pour acorn soup into one half of each bowl, and, at the same time, pour broccoli garlic soup into the other half of bowl.

9. Top with pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.