This delicious and satisfying Kabocha Soup comes together with sweet Japanese squash (pumpkin) and just a few simple ingredients. Enjoy this rich and creamy soup by dipping with your favorite crusty bread. {vegetarian adaptable}
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
Video
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
Editor’s Note: Original post was published on Oct 1, 2014.
I have made this twice and it has come out perfectly every time. Last time I made this, I followed the recipe to a T but last night, I made it with veggie broth and oat milk (instead of chicken broth and milk) as that is what I had at home. Easy, simple yet lots of flavor – definitely a fall staple!
Thank you for such a great recipe, Nami-san!
Hi Arlene! Awesome! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!
Nami and JOC team are glad to hear you enjoyed the Kabocha soup.🙂
Hi Nami! This was a wonderfully simple recipe and it turned out fantastic 🙂 I tend to find pumpkin too sweet but this time around, I really enjoyed it. I added 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic and a serrano pepper at the beginning with the onion for some subtle heat and flavor. I also realized only while cooking that my milk had gone bad, so I ended up adding 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt instead of the 1 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. My soup might have turned out more dense than the original, but it was very tasty!
Hi Arushee,
Terrific! We are so glad to hear you enjoyed your Kabocha Soup!
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us! Make us hungry for Kabocha soup.😋
Tried this today with red kabocha and it taste so good. Simple, healthy and hearty dish
Hi Yenny,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed this Kabocha soup!
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us!
I used vegan substitutes for all of the dairy/broth and loved it!
Hi Cat! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for trying this recipe!
Need to know gluten free nondairy version of the broth. Please tell us how you made it
If using an instant pot, how long would you recommend cooking this soup?
Hi Charylie! Kabocha will be tender in 2-3 minutes in the Instant Pot. 🙂
Simply amazing delicious soup everyone loves it !!! 🙂
Hi BatSheva! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for trying this recipe! xo
The videos explaining the method of a recipes are very easy to understand and make user comfortable while learning 親切に教えていますね。
Hi Ahsan! Thank you for your kind words! 嬉しかったです。どうもありがとう!!
Dear Nami,
Just One Cookbook is truly a wonderful website. Your recipes and cooking instructions are so easy, delicious, and full of wisdom. I never knew kabocha soup could be made in such few easy steps. And it tasted amazing yet nutritious. I want to thank you for sharing your ideas and knowledge to all cooks and bakers of the world, especially to novices like myself. Arigato !
Hi Judy! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really happy to hear you tried this recipe. Thank you for inspiring me to work harder. 🙂 Arigato!!!
Hello! Do you know what can we use to replace the chicken broth? We’re trying to go for Meatless Mondays. 🙂
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen! I apologize for my late response. I was traveling and then got sick… You could use vegetable broth – I recommend using the broth for more flavor than just water. 🙂
Hey, about to try your recipe. It sounds delicious! About how many calories are in this?
Hi Jose! Thank you! I’m sorry but I’m not too sure. However, we’re planning to add calorie and nutritious info to all the recipes as soon as we have a budget… it’s in our plan. 🙂
All YUMMMM
Thank you Civia!
Hello! I was so excited to see this recipe after trying a delicious Kabocha Squash Soup in a restaurant recently. I’d like to prepare this soup maybe a day before the day I plan to serve it. Would you recommend this? Or would the taste be significantly better if prepared the same day? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! Sure that should be okay! 🙂 When you reheat on the day you serve, be careful not to boil because it contains dairy. Or you could add milk on the day of (starting Step 10). Tastewise it should not make a huge difference. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This soup is amazing. I got the impression that the kabocha is meant for soups. Thanks a lot for sharing your recipe.
Hi Marla! Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂
Hello,
I have so many cans of coconut milk. Any way to sub that into this recipe?
Thank you
Hi Sarah! Hmm it’s up to you. Coconut milk taste is pretty strong. If you enjoy it, sure. I’m used to Japanese kabocha soup taste, so it’s a bit strange for me to include coconut milk. 🙂
Not sure where you are located but at Sprouts Market in the U.S. you can buy cubed organic Kabocha squash in the frozen section. My freezer is full of it. Wonderful soup by the way, and for those counting calories try using Silk unsweetened Coconut milk or Almond Milk.
Hi Katherine! Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for sharing your tip! 🙂