This thick, creamy gluten free acorn squash soup is pure fall comfort food. Toss in some homemade pumpkin spice gluten free croutons, and you have the perfect autumn squash soup!

(This post is sponsored by Franz Bakery. All fan ravings and opinions are my own.)

Have you ever had a soup that seemed to explode with flavor on your tongue? This is that soup for me. I have many thoughts about why this homemade roasted acorn squash soup was so flavorful, but I honestly think it is because I roasted and caramelized the acorn squash before adding it to the soup.

Soup is comfort food to me when the weather starts to get chilly; it has a rich, earthy flavor that is best with fresh, in-season winter squash. Check out my fun Acorn Soup Web Story, too!

You get two recipes today! I include both dairy-free and vegan options so anyone can enjoy this soup!

A loaf of Franz Gluten Free 7 Grain Bread.

When Franz Bakery asked me to create a recipe using their gluten-free 7-grain bread, I wanted to show you a fun new way to use their bread. (If you are craving something more traditional, I made a delicious Ricotta and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast recipe with Franz.)

Why this acorn squash soup recipe is so great:

It is easier and cheaper to make your croutons from scratch. You can season them any way you like, and this pumpkin spice flavoring is perfect for fall!

We used to add croutons to salads and soups all of the time. Well, homemade croutons are much easier to make than you think! These easy pumpkin-spiced gluten free croutons are the perfect compliment for this creamy acorn squash soup.

Anyway, I can’t say enough good about Franz Bakery. They make their gluten free bread in a dedicated gluten free facility, away from their regular bakery.

If you haven’t tried their bread yet, you can order them online…or if you are one of the lucky ones, your Costco will have some.

The top view of a white pumpkin shaped bowl filled with acorn squash soup.

Ingredient notes:

  • acorn squash (large) – I love the sweetness of acorn squash. You can use butternut or kabocha squash instead.
  • vegetable broth – I like to use low-sodium vegetable broth, but either is fine to make this vegan acorn squash soup recipe.
  • onion – I prefer yellow onions for this recipe
  • .garlic – You can use minced cloves or jarred minced garlic.
Slices of gluten free bread on a cutting board.

How to make gluten free croutons:

You will love how easy gluten free croutons are really easy to make.

  1. Pull out a few slices of Franz gluten free bread. (I had about 4 cups of bread cubes when I was done.)
  2. Cut the slices into squares. Add them to a bowl.
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and toss with the bread cubes.
  4. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and toss to coat. You can use all types of spices and seasonings to make breadcrumbs.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes at 300º F.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Baked gluten free croutons on a baking sheet.

Allow the croutons to cool after baking.

How to Roast Acorn Squash:

As I mentioned earlier, this soup is so good because of the roasted acorn squash. I slow-roasted the squash for it to soften and caramelize.

  1. Preheat your oven to 350º F.
  2. To slow roast your acorn squash, cut your squash in half.
  3. Scoop out the seeds.
  4. Brush olive oil on the yellow-orange flesh and sprinkle salt on it.
  5. Place your acorn squash in a pan face up.
  6. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the acorn squash is soft. (Note: baking time will vary by the size of your acorn squash.
Roasted halves of acorn squash on a baking tray.
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Step-by-step recipe directions:

The squash is so tender it almost scoops like ice cream :-). Scoop out the flesh and add to a soup pot with the other ingredients. Cook until everything is soft.

Step 1: In a pot, add the garlic, oil, and onion. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until the onions become clear in color.

Step 2: Scoop out the roasted acorn squash and add to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and seasonings.

Step 3: Cover and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to simmer and cook an additional 10-15 minutes so the flavors can all mesh together.

An immersion blender is in the pot pureeing all of the ingredients.

Step 4: Once everything is cooked, use an immersion blender to puree the soup to make it creamy and smooth. (This is one of the easiest products to use, but you do want to be careful not to splash hot liquid onto your skin!)

If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a Vitamix or blender.

Acorn squash soup cooking in a soup pot.

Step 5: Once the soup is blended, add the parmesan cheese. It will be really creamy. Ladle it into soup bowls.

The crispy croutons float beautifully on top of the acorn squash soup.

Top with the homemade gluten free pumpkin spice croutons!

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

How do I know when the winter squash is cooked?

Your squash is done baking when it is soft. See the picture below. The winter squash is caramelized and is ready to be added to the soup.

Can you make this soup dairy-free?

To make this acorn soup vegan, omit the parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan cheese.

How long will this soup keep?

This soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer.

Can you make this soup ahead?

You can easily make this soup ahead by roasting the acorn squash ahead. The roasted squash will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and you can use this anytime to make the soup.

If you love winter squash, don’t forget to check out all of my best winter squash recipes!

Reader Rave:

I made this and AMAZING used store bought croutons family loved it, two thumbs up.”

Susan M., Pinterest user

More delicious gluten free winter squash recipes:

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Homemade Croutons

Sandi Gaertner
An easy vegan roasted acorn squash soup recipe with crunchy homemade pumpkin spice croutons.
4.92 from 34 votes
dairy free allergen icon
an egg free allergen icon
gluten free allergy icon
A vegan icon.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Gluten Free Soup Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 6 bowls
Calories 86 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 acorn squash (large)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon chipotle (powdered, feel free to use more!)
  • teaspoon ginger (powdered)
  • Optional ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  • Slice the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
  • Brush with olive oil (one tablespoon) and sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over the halves.
  • Place face up on a baking sheet and bake the squash until the top looks caramelized. (About 30 minutes)
  • In a pot, pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Add the diced onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft.
  • Scoop out the acorn squash pulp and add to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature to low and simmer another 10 minutes.
  • Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to liquefy the ingredients. 
  • Add optional parmesan if you don’t need this soup to be vegan. Top with homemade croutons.

Notes

  1. You can use canned pureed acorn squash or roast your acorn squash fresh.
  2. Trader Joe’s carries a great canned pureed squash that is delicious in this recipe. If you use canned, this recipe is ready in under 20 minutes.
  3. When making the gluten free croutons, you can season them with pumpkin spice, or any other seasoning, making this recipe so flexible!
  4. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a Vitamix or regular blender. Just be careful if you use a blender with a plastic container to make sure it can handle the hot liquid without melting. 

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 668mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 526IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

(*This post was updated from an old 10/2017 post.)

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Recipe Rating




54 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Andddd I’m hungry. This looks amazing, thank you for sharing and explaining it so well, excited to try it this season!

  2. oh man, didn’t even think about all the people affected by the recent hurricanes with dietary restrictions! what a lovely company to take care of their gluten free friends during a difficult time. and this recipe made me SO ready for fall – looks amazing!

  3. 5 stars
    Umm yes please! This soup looks amazing and is PERFECT for Fall. Thanks for sharing, will definitely be saving this recipe to try soon