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Ever since the cool, crisp air of fall arrived, I have been craving all things squash and pumpkin related. We’ve enjoyed different variations of butternut squash, but I think my family may hurt me if I serve another squash dish.
Fortunately, I was able to slip one more squash dish under their noses after Thanksgiving. Hubby had planned to serve acorn squash stuffed with apples and dried cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner, but there were so many side dishes. So the acorn squash got eighty-sixed, though I didn’t want the acorn squash to go to waste.
Much like many of its squash kin, acorn squash makes a wonderful soup. By simply roasting it and sautéing it with some leeks, this particular soup develops a rich full-bodied flavor that other squash soups lack.
Sprinkle the Roasted Acorn Squash and Leek Soup with a few pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) and it’s like autumn in a bowl. Thankfully, my family slurped one more squash dish without complaint. I wonder what other ways I can sneak some more squash into their dinners.
Roasted Acorn Squash and Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 large leek or 2 smaller leeks (about 1 cup, light green and white part only)
- 4 cups fat free (low sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
- 2 Tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut acorn squash in half and bake until tender, about 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set to side to cool.
- As acorn squash sools, chop off dark green ends of the leek and discard. Slice light green and white portion of leek into ¼ inch slices. Wash slices thoroughly under cold water.
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot on a low to medium heat. Sauté leeks in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
- When squash is cool enough to handle, use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out seeds. Then, scoop out the flesh from the skin and add to the pot with leeks. Give the squash a few stirs to coat and combine with the leeks.
- Add about 2/3 of the chicken stock to the pot. Stir well and simmer about 5 minutes.
- Using a hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add remaining broth and simmer a few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with pepitas and chopped chives.
That looks so good!! I always have trouble cutting the squash in half!! What’s the trick???
That looks awesome, and I would have thought it would take much longer to make. YUM!! I’d like to try adding 1/2 can coconut milk – what do you think Denise?
If you want a sweeter, creamy outcome, then go for it. It’s pretty creamy without it, though. Seriously, yummy!