This kabocha squash soup is naturally sweet, and uses just a few simple ingredients to make a comforting and delicious winter soup.
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When fall comes, it’s time for everyone to go pumpkin crazy. Except for me, because I think pumpkin is just okay.
That’s probably because I grew up spoiled, eating kabocha squash. It’s also known as the Japanese pumpkin, and has dark green skin and a bright orange flesh (sometimes you can find kabocha with a bright red-orange skin).
I LOVE love love kabocha because it is SO sweet. It’s sweeter than pumpkin, for sure. It’s even sweeter than butternut squash! The texture cooks up fluffy and delicious.
This kabocha squash soup is quite sweet, but it’s all natural. No added sweeteners. There are added savory notes from the mushrooms and onions, and it is an all around winner.
The wonderful thing about it is how EASY it is to make! Just chop up your veggies, sauté, simmer in chicken broth, add milk, salt and pepper, done. By the way, kabocha skin is edible! I peeled half of it off for this soup, but I personally love the skin.
So, where can you get kabocha squash? My local grocery stores don’t carry it, so I just hop on over to any Asian market. It’s squat and dark green with some light green spotting.
So try this kabocha squash soup out. And with the other half of the kabocha, try making simmered kabocha or sweet kabocha bites. Happy cold weather cooking!
Kabocha Squash Soup
This kabocha squash soup is naturally sweet, and uses just a few simple ingredients to make a comforting and delicious winter soup.
Ingredients
- 1/2 kabocha squash 1.5-2 pounds flesh after seeds removed
- 1/2 pound baby portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms, etc.
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 T butter
Instructions
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Prep by removing all the seeds from the inside of the kabocha, and peel about half of the skin off. slice and then chop into chunks, about bite sized. Cut the mushrooms into small bite sized chunks (quarter them, or just cut in half for very small mushrooms). Dice the onion.
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Melt the butter in a medium (4qt or so) pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute. Salt the mushrooms and add the squash. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes, and add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid, and cook on low until squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, smash the kabocha up until about half smashed. You want about half "pureed" kabocha and half little chunks. Stir in the milk, and salt and pepper to taste. You will probably need a decent amount of salt. Serve immediately, or let it sit for a few hours or overnight to meld the flavors more.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from cookpad (Japanese).
Kabocha is my favorite squash too! It’s a shame grocery stores don’t usually carry it, but I always pick one up whenever I’m at the Asian grocery store. I will for sure add this to my list of things to try with kabocha for the next time I get one! It looks so hearty and comforting, and I’m sure is a refreshingly tasty departure from all the canned pumpkin recipes I’ve seen this fall. 🙂
I actually just saw some kabocha at Whole Foods today! I guess it just depends on the store. And yes, better than canned pumpkin ?.
Anything fresh and whole is better than canned… I think I will try this with some agave to sweeten it up. I have tried this squash before and it is not as sweet as butternut squash… which is delish as well!
I made this recipe and made the following additions/changes:
Mushrooms – I used dehydrated and saved the mushroom liquid
I replaced the onion with one large shallot.
I used almond milk instead of whole milk.
I added 3 small fingerling potatoes sliced; this added a thickness and offset the sweet of the squash.
I added 1 garlic glove minced
I added 1 large stalk Rainbow Swiss Chard chopped
I love the taste and texture of this soup. I served over Thai Jasmine Rice; my family loves rice.
I am lucky to live in Hawaii where kabocha is available at farmers markets. What a great recipe — simple and adaptable!I had no mushrooms handy, so I tossed in some leftover cooked cabbage and even a little bit of zucchini — many mild vegetables would go well with the kabocha. Delicious. Thank you!