Not your mother's type of dinner! (Roasted Acorn Squash Soup)

I am an 80's kid with a mom who worked, so there was not a ton of the fancy home cooked meals I usually have.  Our meals back then were usually Rice a Roni with corn and barbecued chicken legs, julienne potatoes from the box with peas and Shake and Bake pork chops, or my mom's most exotic thing she made, Asian turkey tenderloins with frozen broccoli from the back of a Turkey Store turkey product.

So suffice it to say, I do not know what to do with acorn squash off the top of my head.  I don't even remember seeing such things in the store when I was a kid. I've had it a few other times in produce club shares and made bread, chili and stuffed it.  But now, it was time to let it shine.  It was rainy weather and I had a hankering for a ham sandwich - it was soup time!

I found this wonderful recipe from A cozy kitchen for Acorn Squash soup.  The recipe roasted the veggies before blending the soup up.  What a wonderful idea!  I added some green chiles for a little heat and it was a welcome addition.   I made a little sandwich to go with it of ham, apple and cheddar and it was wonderful dipped in the soup.  The soup was delish on its own as well.  Make this, you will love it!  Full recipe to follow the montage.

What a lovely little lunch!

The simple cast.  So good for you with all the veggies!

Roasted to perfection!

Blend it all up.

And there you have it!  Pin it for when a soup hankering hits!

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup (adapted from A Cozy Kitchen)

1 yellow onion trimmed and halved (not peeled)
1 head garlic cut in half, lengthwise (not peeled)
2 small carrots washed and trimmed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Olive oil
Kosher Salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds delicata squash halved (or use all acorn)
1 pound acorn squash

1 can diced green chiles
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock divided
2 tablespoons sour cream or créme fraîche

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Add the yellow onion and garlic, cut side up, along with the carrots and thyme. Drizzle everything with about a tablespoon of olive oil and add a few pinches of salt and rounds of pepper. Flip the onion and garlic over so the cut side down hits the baking sheet. This will make it so they steam and roast slowly versus burn.

Add the acorn squash and delicata squash, cut side down, to the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on the counter to chill for about 10 minutes.  Peel the onion and discard the skins.

To a blender, add half of the vegetable stock or chicken stock. Scoop out the flesh of the squashes and add it to the blender. And then add the removed thyme leaves, carrots, peeled onion and squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves. Add the can of green chiles. Lastly add the sour cream or créme fraîche and a few pinches of salt and a few rounds of black pepper.

Blend until very smooth, being sure to allow some of the steam out, along the way. Continue until very smooth. Add the remaining stock and blend it up once again. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. If you want it creamier, feel free to add a tablespoon or two more of sour cream or créme fraîche.
If the soup is cold, add it to a pot or saucepan and warm it up until hot. 

This soup freezes really well. Allow it to come down to room temperature and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container.

Happy Cooking!

Missy