Kabocha Squash Soup

Name: Kabocha Squash Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1/4 kabocha squash (about 500g); 1/2 medium onion; 1 tablespoon (14.2g) butter; 350 ml beef broth; 350 ml whole milk; kosher salt, to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; drizzle of cream; chopped fresh parsley

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This quick and easy, Japanese kabocha squash soup (かぼちゃスープ, カボチャポタージュ) is creamy, rich, and flavourful. It highlights the naturally sweet and nutty flavour of the seasonal squash in a velvety smooth and silky broth.

A spoon lifting kabocha squash soup from a bowl.

This soup is the best for a chilly fall day; so cozy and comforting. Its packed full of vitamins with many great health benefits from the kabocha. And it's low carb and gluten-free, too. All of this makes kabocha squash soup with toast a popular breakfast in Japan.

For other cozy soups, Greek lemon chicken orzo soup or Korean rice cake soup will be sure to warm you up.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Tip
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Bowls of kabocha squash soup surrounded by flowers on a cloth napkin.

Ingredients

Kabocha squash
Onion
Butter
Beef broth
Whole milk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cream
Fresh parsley

See the recipe card below for quantities.

What is kabocha?

'Kabocha' (カボチャ, 南瓜) is a Japanese word that refers to any kind of 'pumpkin.' However, in english 'Kabocha' refers specifically to a sweet, Asian variety of squash popularly used and cultivated in Japan; also known as Japanese pumpkin. The flavour and texture is quite different from the Western pumpkin, and cooking methods are, as well.

The flavour is described as nutty chestnut crossed with purple sweet potato. And the texture is somewhere between a pumpkin and a sweet potato. It is in season from late summer through early autumn. A suitably ripe kabocha will be deep green in colour, hard, and feel quite heavy.

Because of the squash's sweet flavour, it is often used in desserts and baked goods in Japan. The rind of the kabocha squash is edible, however, we will remove it in this recipe to give the soup its beautiful orange colour.

Substitutions

Kabocha squash - The best substitute is the buttercup squash. Alternatively, acorn squash is a decent substitute as well.

Beef broth - Substitute with chicken or vegetable broth.

Variations

Vegetarian - Substitute the beef broth with vegetable broth.

Vegan - Substitute the beef broth with vegetable broth, and the whole milk and heavy cream with canned, unsweetened, whole-fat coconut milk.

Instructions

For this recipe that makes 3 servings (or 4 small), you will only need a quarter of a kabocha (or double the whole recipe to make a bigger batch).

Cut the kabocha in half, then cut one in half again to get a quarter. Kabocha is surprisingly hard, so be very careful of your fingers when cutting it.

Seeded kabocha squash wrapped in plastic wrap.

Remove the seeds from your quarter of kabocha, then wrap it in plastic wrap. Microwave it for 4 minutes to soften the squash and make it easy to remove from the rind. (Note: To make this recipe without a microwave, see the note at the bottom of the recipe card below).

Be careful handling the hot kabocha. Cut it off of the rind and into roughly equal sized pieces. Set the kabocha pieces aside for now.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté until it begins to soften.

Stir in the kabocha and sauté it with the onion for another minute.

Pour in the broth. Bring the soup just to a boil, then cover it with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender purée the soup. Or, you can use a blender to purée it in batches.

An immersion blender blending kabocha squash soup.

Pour in the milk. Stir while you wait for the soup to get hot. Don't allow it to come to a boil. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

A wooden spoon stirring creamy kabocha squash soup.

Optionally, drizzle with a touch of cream and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Your Japanese kabocha soup is ready to enjoy! I recommend dipping some warm, crusty bread into it.

A bowl of kabocha squash soup garnished with fresh parsley.

Equipment

An immersion blender makes blending this soup into a purée very quick and easy. You can also use a blender to do this.

immersion blender

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Storage

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Overhead image of bowls of kabocha squash soup.

Tip

The hardest part of making this recipe is cutting the squash. They're really hard. If you really can't cut through it, try putting the squash into the microwave for 1 minute to soften it slightly. Be careful to not make it too hot to handle.

FAQ

What are the health benefits of kabocha?

Kabocha's bright orange flesh is an excellent source of fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, and smaller amounts of of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and some B vitamins. A single serving of kabocha squash gives you 70% of your daily recommended vitamin A! This is great for healthy skin, hair, and vision.

How do you know when a kabocha squash is ripe?

A suitably ripe kabocha will be deep green in colour, hard, and feel quite heavy.

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