Spicy Acorn Squash and Apple Soup
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Updated Apr 16, 2025
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My husband said this soup is sophisticated and my friend Michelle said it was comforting. I couldn’t have said it better myself — It truly is both! The smell of the roasted squash and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in our home was wonderful. This soup makes a wonderful first course for entertaining and would be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving menu. Serve it in pumpkins and your guests will really be talking.
It’s spicy, but not too spicy. The next time I make it I plan to double the amount of chile, but that’s just me. This soup experiment turned out to be silky smooth in texture with spicy warm flavors, exactly what I was craving. Add some crusty bread and it’s very satisfying.
More Soup Recipes
- Caldo de Pollo
- Red Chicken Pozole
- Caldo de Res (Beef Soup)
- Chicken Pozole Verde
- Red Pork and Hominy Stew (Pozole Rojo)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
Spicy Acorn Squash and Apple Soup
Ingredients
Roasting Squash:
- 2 quartered acorn , or other small winter squash
- 1 stick, unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Soup:
- ¼ cup pepitas, pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 chopped leek, white part only
- ½ chopped white onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 pasilla or ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces
- 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
- water, depending on desired thickness
- 1 granny smith apple, cored, and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- 1 cup crema Mexicana for garnish, optional
- paprika powder for garnish, optional
Instructions
Roasting Squash:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Carefully cut each squash into quarters. Slice a piece of butter and place on each piece of squash, sprinkle with salt, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet skin sides down. Roast for one hour or until the squash is tender.
- When the squash is cool enough to handle scoop it into a bowl and reserve. Warning: This part is kinda messy.
Soup:
- In a dry skillet toast the pepitas for about 5 minutes or until they start to pop. Set aside to cool off and reserve.
- Heat the olive oil in a caldero (soup pot) over medium heat. Add the leek, onion, celery, ginger, garlic, and chile pieces. Stir frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the broth, squash, and apple. Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Now add water a cup at a time pureeing between additions until the soup is the consistency you desire. Bring up to a simmer again and season the soup as needed with salt, pepper, and orange peel.
- If you chose to serve this soup in pumpkins like I did, wash the pumpkins with water, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Carve a lid off the top and remove the seeds from inside. I broiled my pumpkins for 5 to 10 minutes while the soup was simmering, but this step is not necessary.
- Place each pumpkin onto a plate and fill them with soup topped with a dollop of crema, a sprinkle of paprika, and pepitas if desired.
Notes
- For s spicier soup, feel free to up the amount of chile.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston
good recipe
My family does not like pumpkin but as pumpkin soup. but for the sweetness of finely grated pumpkin they eat immediately
Not only is this stunning presentation but the soup looks amazingly delicious. Me encanta.
Thanks Eliana! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving chica!