Roasted kabocha squash soup

Last year around this time, I learned about kabocha squash.  I'd enjoyed it for ages in the form of tempura at Japanese restaurant without ever quite knowing what it was!

But luckily, Nami at Just One Cookbook revealed the mystery of the delicious kabocha squash, also known as "Japanese pumpkin".  I started experimenting with roasting different varieties of squash last Fall and I discovered that I really love the kabocha above all else! 

What I love most about it is the texture.  It's this wonderful combination of squash-potato, sweet-potato, and chestnut!  It's usually got the texture and flavor of Japanese sweet potato as well, which I absolutely adore (I say "usually" because sometimes you get a drier-denser kabocha and other times, a "wetter", more squash-like, one).  It's sweet and altogether delectable and really satisfying.  Now that it's been in season, I constantly buy this green, knobbly and rough-looking squash to roast.  I can put away a lot in one sitting!  Now given my tendency towards routine, it's hard for me to break away from simply roasting-and-eating, but I managed to try something new - this soup!

There's no cream necessary in making this thick, smooth, and creamy kabocha soup. I started with sweet onions and flavored the soup with a generous amount of grated ginger as well as garlic for a little kick to balance the sweetness.  I add roasted kabocha, cooking everything together, before using the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.

This is my husband's kind of way of enjoying kabocha and I also devoured my fair share of it.  It's so hearty and satisfying.  I do love to eat the skin of the kabocha though - amazingly, the rough and tough-looking skin is incredible soft and absolutely edible after cooking.  So while I'm not about to give up on my roast-and-eat routine, I'll be more than happy to make a batch of roasted kabocha soup once in a while.

When I buy kabocha, I look for one that's heavy for its size.  A dull skin and bumps are normal (they're not exactly pretty); just make sure it is firm and there are no soft spots.  You can stock up like I do and keep them like you would other squashes, in a dry place for a few weeks.

I usually carefully slice the kabocha in half, remove the seeds, them cut them in big wedges to roast with a little olive oil and salt.  I use the convection mode on my oven at 400 degrees and it takes about half an hour, flipping them around midway.  

I normally roast kabocha in wedges like this; for this soup, it would be easier to roast in halves and then scoop out the cooked flesh afterwards

For this soup recipe, however, it'll be easier to roast a kabocha in halves and scoop out the cooked flesh that you need for the soup.

In a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, flipping over midway

And for this soup, I drew inspiration from the butternut squash soup I make as well as this recipe.  I opted to grate fresh ginger and garlic, and tossed in some turmeric and garam masala.  I used chicken stock and adjusted the final consistency to our liking by adding a bit more at the end after pureeing.  It's always good to add the minimum amount of liquid you think you'll need because you can always thin it out with a bit more stock or water at the end.  

The end result is something like butternut squash soup except the texture of the kabocha is denser and fluffier so that you end up with a somewhat heartier, more potato-like soup.  It's sweet and a little spicy.  This one was easy to love but if you're like me, you've probably never met a soup you didn't like.  I find that I tend to love every soup I make at home!


Recipe:

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup
Adapted from Goop as well as this recipe

- Serves approximately 4 - 

1/2 medium-size kabocha squash (about 1 1/2 lbs., or 2 rounded cups, cooked), cut in half with seeds removed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for roasting
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, for seasoning

First roast the kabocha.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Rub kabocha with some olive oil and season with salt and a little black pepper.  Place, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast until flesh is tender, about 30-35 minutes.  

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add grated ginger, garlic, paprika, turmeric and garam masala.  Stir well to coat and cook for about 1 minute.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Then, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 8-10 minutes with the pot partially covered.  

Scoop out the cooked flesh of the kabocha, discarding the skin.  Add kabocha to the soup, stir together, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender (or in small batches using a blender) until smooth. If necessary, add more chicken stock (or hot water) to thin the soup a bit.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper, as needed.