Just 6 ingredients make a flavorful acorn squash soup
On these chilly nights I find myself making a lot of soup. With acorn squashes piled high at the market, I decided to put them to work in a simple soup with just five other ingredients. But each one is doing a lot of work here, adding flavor and texture to keep this dish interesting so you’ll want spoonful after spoonful.
Canned coconut milk adds incredible richness, which complements and lightens the squash’s dense orange flesh. A touch of maple syrup adds a slight sweetness while shiro miso, or white miso, delivers salinity, depth and a pleasant nuttiness. Pureed together, a simple soup is born.
It’s just fine without any topping, or perhaps with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping or small side salad for some crunch. But I like it with a drizzle of smoky paprika oil on top. The mild heat and smoky scent enhance the squash’s flavors and add intrigue.
Acorn squash are tender, sweet and ideal for simple, hearty soups. They take less than 10 minutes to steam in the microwave, though you can also roast them. If you don’t have acorn squash, you can use butternut, honey nut, kuri or kabocha squash, though they may take longer to cook.
Coconut milk adds a lot of richness here. To lighten the soup, use light coconut milk, half coconut milk and half vegetable stock, or all stock.
Shiro or white miso can be found in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets. There’s no simple substitute for it, though you could try using soy sauce and tahini, to taste.
If you don’t have maple syrup use honey or brown sugar – or skip it.
No paprika in the spice cabinet? How about a drizzle of Calabrian chiles? Or, top the soup with toasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pistachios or pecans, garlicky breadcrumbs or croutons, pesto or kale chips.