This easy, roasted acorn squash soup is bursting with spicy, Moroccan flavor and is sweetened with dates! It's a healthy, whole30 compliant, paleo and vegan friendly meal for only 200 calories!
Course Soup
Cuisine Moroccan
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 4bowls
Author FoodFaithFitness
Ingredients
1Large Acorn squashJust over 2 Lbs
1Large onion
1Tbsp+ 2 tsp Better Body Foods Liquid Coconut Oildivided
2tspGround cumin
1tspGround cinnamon
1tspSea salt
1/4tspSmoked paprika
1/8tspGround allspice
1Large head of garlic
2CupsReduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2CupDateshalved and lightly packed (73g)
1 1/2 - 2tspFresh gingerminced * (read note)
Cilantrofor garnish
Pepitasfor garnish
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with tin foil.
Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place it cut side up on the baking sheet. Try to make sure that the cut sides stay facing straight up, and the squash doesn't fall onto its side.
Chop the onion in half lengthwise. Slice off one of the ends so that you loosen the papery outside coating, and peel it off. Do not cut the other end of the onion off, or it won't hold together. Place it cut-side up on the baking sheet.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the coconut oil over the squash (so 1/2 Tbsp of oil per each side) and rub in. Then, drizzle 1 tsp of the oil over the onion (1/2 tsp per each side of the onion) and rub in.
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, cinnamon, salt, smoked paprika and allspice. Divide it evenly between both halves of the squash and onion, rubbing in gently. Make sure you get ALL the spice mixture on the vegetables.
Place two layers of tin foil on top of each other (shiny side in!) Cut the top of the garlic head off and place it in the center of the tinfoil. Drizzle the remaining 1 tsp of coconut oil on the garlic, rub it in and then fold the tinfoil around it to create a packet. Place onto the baking sheet.
Bake until the squash and onion are fork tender, about 50 mins to an hour.
While the vegetables roast, place the vegetable broth and chopped dates into a medium pot and bring to a boil on high heat.
Once boiling, boil for 1 minute. Then, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the dates are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until the vegetables are done.
Scrape the flesh of the roasted squash into a high-powered blender (don't get the skin in there) and then add in the whole onion. Peel the tinfoil off the garlic head and squeeze the softened garlic out of the cloves into the blender as well.
Add the ginger, along with the softened dates and vegetable broth into the blender. Blend until smooth and and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste and adjust ginger and salt if necessary.
Pour into bowls, garnish with cilantro and pepitas and DEVOUR.
Notes
*I really like ginger, and so does Mr. FFF. We thought 2 tsp was perfect, but a FEW of this co-workers thought it was just a touch strong. I suggest adding 1 1/2 tsp, tasting and adding more if needed.