Get into the swing of fall with bowl of cozy Roasted Kabocha Soup!
Now that it’s the middle of October, we’re deep in the heart of pumpkin season! For a twist on traditional pumpkin, I used a kabocha squash, which is also known as Japanese pumpkin. Kabocha tends to get overlooked in favor of butternut squash and pumpkin, but I think it’s time for it to claim it’s own spot on the dinner table. With it’s strong, yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture, it’s one of my fall favorites. Roasted it before adding it this soup really brings out its sweetness.
Of course, you can use any other type of squash in this recipe if you can’t find kabocha. If you’re really pressed for time, you can use a can of butternut squash puree and skip the roasting step, but roasting it does give it a nice depth of flavor that the canned version just won’t have. I will sometimes roast the squash a day or two ahead of time, and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to make the soup.

Roasted Kabocha Soup
Ingredients
- Medium kabocha squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 13.5- ounce can coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°.
-
Chop the squash into bite-sized pieces, removing the peel and seeds. If it’s too tough, place it in the oven for about 15 minutes to soften it before chopping.
-
Toss the squash with the olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of sea salt and the black pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
-
Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and fragrant.
-
Add the tomato paste, curry powder, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Give everything a stir and let it cook for about a minute. Add in the coconut milk, stock, almond butter and roasted squash. Bring to a light simmer. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Remove the soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, wait until the soup has cooled slightly and puree in batches in a regular blender.
-
Return the soup to the heat. Stir in the rest of the sea salt and the lime juice. Cook for another minute or two, to let all of the flavors combine.
-
Ladle into bowls and top with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve hot.
This soup is absolutely amazing. I made it tonight and only wish more people were here to partake in the rich flavor layers it has. Thanks for sharing!