Sweet Dumpling Squash Soup

This Sweet Dumpling Squash Soup recipe is the perfect way to celebrate one of autumn’s most unique squash varieties. As easy as roasting, blending, and topping with crispy bacon! 

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Celebrate Autumn with Sweet Dumpling Squash Soup

Every fall, without fail, I make some sort of blended squash soup. I’ve tried it with all sorts of varieties of squash, including butternut, acorn and delicata, but my very favorite variety for soup is sweet dumpling squash.

With it’s naturally sweet and nutty flavor, and luxuriously creamy texture when pureed, let me show you why sweet dumpling squash is the perfect variety to make the best squash soup.

This post will explain what sweet dumpling squash is, how to cook it, and how to turn it into soup.

What is Sweet Dumpling Squash?

Sweet dumpling squash is a small winter squash that weighs about about one to two pounds (it’s about the size of a grapefruit). It’s available during the fall and winter, at farmer’s markets and some grocery stores.

Dumpling squash has hard, speckled green and white skin, and ridges like a pumpkin.

It has pale orangish-yellow flesh and stringy pulp. Just like pumpkins, the seeds of sweet dumpling squash can be roasted and snacked on (use any recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds for squash seeds, too). I also like the roasted seeds sprinkled over savory cottage cheese.

What Does Sweet Dumpling Squash Taste Like?

The orange flesh of a dumpling squash is very sweet, as the name implies. It also has a nutty flavor that makes it ideal for savory cooking (just like pumpkin can be used for pies AND savory pumpkin dip).

The flesh is on the drier side, which means it caramelizes very well when roasted (and gets even sweeter), and becomes smooth and creamy when pureed.

The taste is comparable to a mild pumpkin flavor, with a little bit of sweet potato also.

Squash Soup Recipe Ingredients

• dumpling squash – you’ll need 2-1/2 pounds of dumpling squash for this recipe, which is about 2 medium dumpling squashes, usually. A little bit more or less is just fine.
• garlic – you’ll need 2 cloves of garlic, and you can leave their skins on!
• onion – I like the sweetness of a yellow onion for this recipe, but white onion works, too.
• olive oil – for roasting the squash, garlic and onion.
• salt and pepper – savory seasonings to balance the sweetness of the squash.
• sage – fresh sage leaves provide the best flavor, but a pinch of dried sage works in well, a pinch. Dried sage is the key ingredient in Jeff’s grandma’s classic stuffing recipe, also.
• broth – I like the flavor that chicken broth adds to this sweet dumpling squash soup, but vegetable broth is great, too!
• spices – a combination of cumin, paprika and turmeric enhances the sweet and savory notes of the squash and provides deep depth of flavor. Turmeric also enhances my slow cooker carrot soup, and cumin is one of my favorite spices for Lebanese kafta.
• half and half – finish the soup with a dash of half and half or cream to make it extra delicious.
• bacon – I like to cook a few slices of bacon in the oven or bacon in air fryer and crumble them over the soup. If turkey bacon is more your speed, check out my tutorials on how to cook turkey bacon in the oven and turkey bacon air fryer! Save your bacon grease for a batch of my bacon gravy recipe if you’re inclined.

How to Cook Sweet Dumpling Squash

Sweet dumpling squash can be steamed or microwaved, but the best way to cook it is to roast it (I feel the same way about cauliflower, ala pizza with garlic).

First, you’ll want to cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves on a baking pan, drizzle them with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Transfer the squash to a 375 degree F oven and roast one hour or until the squash is very tender.

How to Make Winter Squash Soup

You’ll start this sweet dumpling squash recipe by roasting the squash, garlic and onion, which will take about an hour in total.

Once the squash is tender, let it cool slightly and then scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. Put the squash flesh into a blender or food processor, along with the onion and garlic cloves (remove and discard the garlic skins).

Add the sage, broth, a bit of water and the spices and blend until everything is nice and smooth. Then, you’ll be transferring the mixture to a pot on the stove and cooking it for a few minutes until it’s warmed through.

Stir in the half and half, and adjust the consistency of the soup by adding additional water or broth if needed. Taste the soup and season with additional salt if it needs it.

Garnish with bacon and serve this sweet dumpling squash soup hot!

What to Serve with Winter Squash Soup

If you’d like to serve this soup (or my old fashioned ham and bean soup) with a salad, I’d recommend a simple green salad dressed with citrus salad dressing or creamy feta dressing.

If soup and a sandwich is your ideal combo, the best prosciutto sandwich or my salmon BLT recipe would pair well with this dumpling squash soup.

And easy yeast rolls are a perfect pairing for any soup.

Squash Soup Recipe FAQs