I love soup!
I love that it can be made with so many flavours and textures (think smooth tomato, chunky leek and potato or filling chicken noodle) and that it can be served chilled or warm, or even as either a starter or dessert!
I love that, with a hunk of fresh crusty bread, it is a complete meal in itself. It’s economical too. I always make enough soup to have leftovers that last several days for lunch or that can be used as a base for a pasta sauce.
Soup is definitely best made with seasonal ingredients which is why I was even more pleased to find this recipe using Acorn squash, a variety of winter squash, which is a good source of dietary fibre and potassium along with vitamins B and C. As its name suggests, this winter squash is small and round shaped like an acorn with hard, blackish-green or golden-yellow skin.
This recipe is a perfect winter warmer (and spring doesn’t officially start until 20th March so there’s time) so I hope you enjoy this Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Soup as much as I did.
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
- 2 mini acorn squash, peeled and cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 9 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Cut the acorn squash in halves. Place them in a baking dish, drizzle with one teaspoon olive oil and roast for about 20-30 minutes. Let cool. Peel the skin off and reserve the flesh.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large heavy soup pot set over medium high heat. Add the onion and curry powder and cook until the onion is almost translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, stock, maple syrup, thyme and nutmeg and the flesh from the acorn squash.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Let the soup cool a little.
- Puree the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or a blender/food processor.
- Reheat the soup before serving and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
To garnish:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
- freshly ground pepper
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Add the rum and lemon zest and continue whipping until firm. Use a dollop on top of the soup and sprinkle with fresh thyme and chopped thyme.
The addition of the curry power, sweet potato and Maple Syrup offers an interesting flavour and this recipe certainly rivals my beloved Covent Garden Soup Co. Roasted Butternut Squash recipe!
The Wellness Almanac 
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