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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Equipment
An immersion blender makes blending this soup into a purée very quick and easy. You can also use a blender to do this.
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Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
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
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.
A suitably ripe kabocha will be deep green in colour, hard, and feel quite heavy.
📖 Recipe
Kabocha Squash Soup
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
This quick and easy, Japanese kabocha squash soup is creamy, rich, and flavourful. It highlights the naturally sweet and nutty flavour of the seasonal winter squash in a velvety smooth and silky broth.
Ingredients
¼ kabocha squash (about 500g)
½ 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
Garnish:
drizzle of cream
chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
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.
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. (If you would prefer to make this recipe without using 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.
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.
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.
Equipment
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Notes
This recipe makes enough soup for 3 servings, or 4 small servings.
Microwave-free preparation:
Start the recipe by slicing the onion, and seeding, peeling, and cutting the kabocha into bite size pieces. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and sauté the onion until it begins to soften. Stir in the kabocha and sauté for another 8-10 minutes until the kabocha is soft. Continue by following along with the above recipe from where you add the broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 127
- Sugar: 10.7 g
- Sodium: 718.9 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.6 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 22.2 mg
Keywords: Japanese kabocha soup
Sam says
This was tasty and so easy
Asha says
Thanks Sam 🙂
Willow says
Yum!!
Asha says
Thanks!
Lana says
I made this awhile back. Smooth and creamy.
Will make again.
Asha says
Great to hear, thank you!
Carla says
Thanks for sharing. Great flavour.
Asha says
Thanks for trying it, I'm glad you enjoyed.
Carin says
Cool and rainy here. This soup was the perfect fix.
Asha says
Thanks, hope it warms up!
Lynda says
Smooth, creamy goodness.
Asha says
Thanks!
Rose says
This is my favourite fall soup. So soothing.
Asha says
Thank you
Sally says
Made this for the second time this weekend. Everyone loves it even our two year old.
Asha says
That's great, thanks for sharing 🙂
Addyson says
I love this time of year and the delicious meals associated with it.
This soup is absolutely a dream. Thank you.
Asha says
Thanks! 🙂
Cathy says
Great flavour. Recipe is a keeper.
Asha says
Thank you! 🙂