The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to fall. Fall has arrived and that means pumpkin and squash season upon us! Fall is my favorite season and I especially love all kinds of seasonal ingredients only available this time of the year in Japan. Kabocha, Matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts, Sanma (pacific saury), just to mention a few.
What’s Kabocha?
Kabocha is an Asian variety of winter squash. The Japanese simply call it Kabocha (南瓜、かぼちゃ、カボチャ) and the word kabocha refers to all kinds of pumpkins in Japan. In Australia and New Zealand, kabocha is commonly called Japanese pumpkin and here in North America, we refer to it as Kabocha Squash or Kabocha.
Kabocha has dull-finished deep green skin (it’s edible!) and really bright yellow-orange color flesh on the inside. It has a naturally sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut squash, and it’s often used for desserts and baked goods in Japan.
Be forewarned, even though it doesn’t look it, kabocha is really hard. If you are going to cut it for the first time, please be careful with the knife. Keep your fingers away from the knife’s sharp edge.
Kabocha’s Health Benefits
Kabocha doesn’t just look pretty and taste good, it is also an excellent source of beta-carotene which can be converted to vitamin A in the human body. Vitamin A is important for healthy white blood cells and good immunity. Kabocha is also a good source of iron, vitamin C, and some B vitamins and it has lots of fiber!
Over the past few years, I’ve seen kabocha available not just in Asian grocery stores, but they are also available at my local grocery stores during this season. If you love butternut squash and other vegetables similar to pumpkins, definitely try and make this easy soup recipe or other kabocha recipes.
For this recipe, I removed the peel to get the nice intense yellow-orange color for the soup, but you could include the (totally edible) skin as well so you don’t waste the food AND extra nutrition!
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Kabocha Soup
Ingredients
- ½ onion
- 1.4 lb kabocha squash
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 1½ cups milk (I use whole milk)
- ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Garnish
- parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Thinly slice ½ onion.
- Using a spoon, discard the seeds from 1.4 lb kabocha squash and cut into 6 thin wedges. Tip: For step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial on how to cut and peel it, see my post How to Cut a Kabocha Squash.
- Remove the skin. Then, cut into small, equal-size cubes.
To Cook the Soup
- In a pot, heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and brown.
- Add the kabocha and sauté to coat with the butter.
- Add 2 cups chicken stock/broth (or vegetable broth) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes.
- Using a skewer, insert into kabocha and check if it’s fully cooked.
- Pureé the soup in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add 1½ cups milk and ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream and stir until combined. Do not let the soup boil.
- Season with 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir over moderately low heat until it is hot.
To Serve
- Ladle the Kabocha Soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
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Editor’s Note: Original post was published on Oct 1, 2014.
