Creamy Kabocha Squash Soup

A bowl of kabocha squash soup garnished and served with crusty bread.

Creamy Kabocha Squash Soup

Kabocha squash soup is easy to make, earning its place as a perfect fall soup recipe. It's creamy, has a hint of nutmeg, and goes great with crusty bread. You can also easily adapt it vegetarian or lactose-free.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine Japanese, Western

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword fall, fall soup, Kabocha, kabocha recipe, kabocha soup, kabocha squash, kabocha squash soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 161

Author Holly Ford

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) kabocha squash
2 tbsp butter
1/2 onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1-1/4 cup chicken stock low sodium preferred
1 cup milk full-fat preferred
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 pinches nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

To garnish

croutons, chopped nuts, or parsley

Instructions

Start by peeling the kabocha squash and scooping out the seeds. Then, cut it into wedges followed by slicing these into thinner pieces. The thinner the pieces, the quicker they cook.
In a soup pot, melt some butter over medium heat. Toss in the onion and garlic along with a couple of pinches of salt. Sauté the mix until it's lightly browned, which should take about 3 minutes.
Add the kabocha pieces and give them a good toss. Pour in the chicken stock and milk. Turn to medium-low heat, let everything simmer gently for around 8-10 minutes, or until the kabocha is tender.
Use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a high speed blender. Whizz everything up until you've got a smooth soup.
Stir the cream into the soup, warming it up again. Add a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. For that extra flair, drizzle more cream on top of soup and garnish with croutons or a sprinkle of parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

Diet Adaptation: If you're aiming for a vegan version of the dish, simply swap out the butter for olive oil to maintain that rich flavor. Also, replace the chicken broth with vegetable stock for a plant-based alternative. As for the dairy, coconut cream and milk make fantastic substitutes, providing that creamy texture without the lactose.

No kabocha? You can easily substitute it with butternut squash.

Nutrition