To be completely honest, I have never really been a big fan of soups. I always thought that it took a lot of prep time, but I was so wrong. Ever since I started experimenting with squashes and realized how easy they are to cook with, I decided to try a few different recipes…including this soup one. We have probably all tasted Butternut Squash soup before, but what about all the other varieties of squash? I decided to try making a soup with some beautiful acorn squash I found at the farmers market since they are still quite inexpensive right now. I also have become a big fan of Acorn Squash because they are smaller and easier to work with / cut. I wanted this soup to be bursting with flavour so I went a little heavy on the garlic and shallots, and I’m happy I did since it turned out to be exactly the flavour I was looking for. This recipe does call for heavy cream, but it can be replaced with coconut cream or any alternative that you may choose. Just make sure whatever you choose has a thicker consistency since you don’t want the soup to be too liquidy. This soup is served best with a fresh loaf of french bread!


INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 Acorn Squashes (medium size)

  • 6 Shallots (3 chopped and 3 left whole)

  • 6 cloves of Garlic

  • 2 tbsp of Butter

  • 3 tbsp of Olive Oil

  • 1 tbsp of Salt

  • 1 tbsp of Sugar

  • 2 tsp of Pepper

  • 2 boxes of low-sodium Chicken Stock (900 ml each)

  • 1/4 tsp of Cayenne

  • 1 tsp of dried Sage

  • 1 tsp of Savoury (can be substituted by dried thyme)

  • 2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

  • 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 F. Cut each of the Acorn Squash in half (lengthwise) and remove the seeds. Arrange the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Peel your shallots and add to 3 halves of your squash and add 2 peeled garlic cloves to the 3 others. Drizzle each half with oil and season with salt and fresh black pepper. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until tender. Stick a fork into the flesh of the squash and if it goes in easily, it’s ready. Remove from heat and let cool long enough for you to handle.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat until butter melts and starts to foam. Add the chopped Shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and let caramelize for 5 more minutes. Use 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth to deglaze your pot and stir to release any bits stuck to the bottom, then turn the heat down to low.

Remove the squash from the skin using a spoon once it has cooled enough to handle, and add to your pot. Make sure to keep the shallots and garlic since they will also go in. Add in the rest of the chicken stock, stir and then use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add in the cayenne, dried Sage and Savoury. Turn the heat to medium-high and give another round of the immersion blender to ensure all is smooth.

Serve with a sprinkle of the grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh black pepper.

It’s as easy as that!


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