This savory creamy coconut delicata squash soup has a light, subtly sweet undertone that’s the perfect bowl of comfort for a cold fall or winter day.
I have a new squash obsession this year and its name is delicata.
Sure, I’ve had it before but I don’t think I quite realized how truly great of a winter squash it is.
Having always deferred to the basics like butternut (my previous favorite) or kabocha (when I could find it), never acorn though, just not a fan of that one so much, I never gave the oblong, almost decorative gourd-looking delicata squash much attention.
Check out my Guide to Winter Squash for all the squash info!
Things have changed though this year and I’m so glad they have.
Another newer to me squash is buttercup squash and when I’m craving a sweeter taste, it’s my go to. My favorite way to enjoy it is in this maple roasted buttercup squash recipe.
Or, if I’m in the mood for soup, this Thai buttercup squash soup which is creamy and luxurious just like this delicata squash soup.
3 reasons to love delicata squash
- You can eat the skin – Yep, no peeling necessary. I just slice off the ends, cut it in half lengthwise to scoop out the seeds, roast and devour!
- It’s low-carb friendly – With just about 8g carbohydrates per 100g of raw squash, delicata is a much lower carb option than other root vegetables or squashes. What this means to me –> I can eat a lot more for my macro buck!
- Its flavor – Not too sweet, not too savory, delicata is the perfect balance of both (it’s similar to carnival squash in this way) and can easily be pushed in either direction with other ingredients in a recipe.
Do you really have to roast the squash before making the soup?
Will it work if you don’t roast the squash? Sure.
I highly recommend you do though.
Roasting really enhances the flavor of the delicata squash and if you line your baking sheet with foil, clean up is a breeze so just go ahead and take that extra step!
If you don’t want to make soup with your delicata squash, you can always roast it and then make this stuffed delicata squash recipe instead. With cranberries, apples, pork and fennel it’s loaded with delicious fall ingredients!
What’s with the pumpkin and cauliflower in the ingredient list?
Ok, just being honest here, I had 1/2 a cup of pumpkin and about half a head of cauliflower in my fridge that needed to be used up when I made this.
I put both of them into the soup and while I love that the cauliflower added a little bulk and probably mellowed the flavor a little, I definitely don’t think either are necessary.
If you have one or both ingredients on hand and want to use them, great! If not, don’t feel like you have to run to the grocery store, the squash alone will work just fine in the recipe.
Can I use reduced fat coconut milk?
I’m picky about how I choose to eat my fats, I get it.
You want to save some of those fat grams for peanut butter, am I right?
While you can use reduced fat or light coconut milk in place of the full fat coconut milk in the recipe, it won’t be as creamy and I find light coconut milk to be less flavorful as well.
I highly suggest you stick to what the recipe calls for here for maximum flavor.
This delicata squash soup ends up falling somewhere between a hearty winter soup and a light and refreshing Thai inspired soup.
The coconut milk pushes it towards the Thai side and then of course, if you use garnishes like cilantro and chopped peanuts they further enhance the flavors of that cuisine.
It’s the perfect balance to me.
Not a fan of peanuts? Roast some delicata squash seeds instead and use them for the topping. The crunch factor is a great textural changeup to the creamy soup so don’t skip it!
This soup is warm and cozy, hearty and filling but still light and refreshing.
Sort of like this creamy carrot soup which has that heartiness component while still tasting light and springy.
I had thought about going a curry route with this when I was making it and I’m just so glad I didn’t.
The refreshing flavors of coconut and cilantro go so nicely with this mellow squash, I think curry would’ve totally overpowered it.
If you haven’t tried delicata squash yet, I hope you give it a shot in this soup!
Love this creamy coconut delicata squash soup, try out one of these recipes as well:
- Cinnamon Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup
- Spicy Spaghetti Squash Latkes
- Garlicky Butternut Squash Noodles with Spinach and Ricotta
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups
Creamy Coconut Delicata Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large delicata squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 head cauliflower florets
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can, 15oz. full fat coconut milk
- juice of 1 lime
- chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and grease with cooking spray.
- Slice off ends of each delicata squash. Cut lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place each squash half flesh side down on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes until flesh is soft. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before scooping the flesh out into a medium bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower, pumpkin, coriander, salt and pepper, stir and cook another minute.
- Add the scooped out delicata squash and broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is fork tender.
- Turn off the heat and either puree using an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to your blender and blend until smooth in batches. *(see note)
- Once smooth, add the coconut milk and lime juice to the pot and stir until well combined.
- Serve with cilantro, chopped peanuts and/or red pepper flakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Gina,
This recipe was incredible. I did change it as to some seasoning. I did not add celery, coriander or pumpkin nor did I garnish. I decided it begged for Madras curry (about 2 teaspoons) and it was truly amazing. Thank you.
Hi.
Is it possible to give a measurement in weight for the delicata squash instead of just two large? It’s really difficult to determine since everyone has different perceptions of what would be a large squash. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Thank you.
Hi Kim- I don’t have that information on hand right now but because this is a soup, it’s very forgiving and a little bit more or less won’t really matter. Delicata is also a lot less variable in size than say butternut or spaghetti so you really shouldn’t have a problem just eyeballing it. I will update the recipe when I can though with weight for reference. Hope you enjoy!
I didn’t have cauliflower, instead I used two handfuls of roasted cashews. I also added a half bag of arugula. It is AMAZING! My daughter loved it! Thanks!
I LOVED this recipe! It was a pleasant surprise of flavor! It’s rich and creamy and really fills you up nicely. I loved the flavor the coriander brought to the dish! I did not use the pumpkin or the cauliflower and everything still tasted great!
SOOOO yummy, but one can was way too much coconut, and that ended up being the dominant flavor. Maybe my squashes were too small? If using smaller squash, be careful with the coconut. Still, I definitely recommend this recipe :)
This recipe is fabulous! I left out the cauliflower and pumpkin because I did not have them on hand. It still turned out wonderful and the flavor was perfect.? Thanks for the recipe! :)