Kabocha Squash Soup with Sunflower Seed Cream
Rich and creamy, a little sweet, and superbly savory squash goodness, swirled in with a creamy, cinnamon and cumin spiced sunflower cream. It’s a delightful, warm, Autumn dish that highlights seasonal kabocha squash, with warming, pumpkin pie-like spices. This kabocha squash soup imparts all the rich, deep, warmth of Fall.
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Welcome to Fall in New England!
Yesterday it was 80 degrees, sunny and humid- this morning I huddled under the blankets for hours, trying to dare myself to creep out of bed and force my foot to make contact with the icy floor. So begins Fall in New England- abruptly. Say goodbye to days at the beach, and pull out a heavy sweater- you’re going to need it. There’s a great meme out there that states, “The weather just went from 90-55 like it saw a State Trooper”. That really speaks to me, except I live in Massachusetts where the weather is as erratic as the drivers are terrible, so I would probably say the dropped to 35. Just one note on the driving- it was news when Boston drivers were no longer the worst in the country. Now we’ve risen to the lofty position of 199/200! The two other big cities in Massachusetts got 197 and 195, so I think I’m justified in saying Massachusetts drivers are terrible.
Luckily the beginning of autumn brings more than just cold- the leaves change into sunsets of color, apples ripen and cider and donuts are at every corner and hearty gourds and squashes become plentiful. Hidden among the more common butternut and buttercup squash is the beautiful green and orange, patterned kabocha squash.
About Kabocha Squash
Kabocha squash is a Japanese variety, becoming more and more common in other places. It is slightly drier than a butternut, and a little sweeter with subtle nutty flavors. The first time I ate it, it had been roasted over coffee (a delicious technique that I completely recommend), and something about it really stuck in my mind. It’s not that it is so different from the butternut and buttercups, but it is definitely just a little bit better- and it became the clear candidate for soup when I finally forced myself to the kitchen on the first day of fall. If you cannot find kabocha squash, either butternut or buttercup will be delicious in this soup.
Looking for Winter Squash Recipes? Try one of these!
- Roasted Chestnut Crabapples and Kabocha Squash
- Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas
- Cold Weather Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash and Turmeric
- Tomato Masala Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Corn and Spinach
- Wild Rice, Chili and Cacao Nib Stuffed Acorn Squash
Making Kabocha Squash Soup
This soup combines a creamy squash soup with a light, spiced cream. It’s made by roasting kabocha squash and garlic, while also simmering broth and some carrots and onions. They come together by blending the two until they’re rich and creamy. Sunflower seed cream adds complexity to this dish- it is cold while the soup is warm, and it is light and spiced, using some of the spices that make a pumpkin pie so great. Used correctly, these spices work with most squash and are also easily translated from a sweet to a savory application. The trick to making a good sunflower seed cream is to boil your sunflower seeds to soften them, and blend for a good length of time. Swirl some in your soup, and enjoy a different cream/squash balance in every bite!
Kabocha Squash Soup with Spiced Sunflower Seed Cream
Ingredients
- 1 kabocha squash (around 3-4 lbs.)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- ½ small onion
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- Salt, pepper and olive oil as needed
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp coriander
- 1/3 cup water
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut your squash in half, and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy parts (much like how you clean out a pumpkin). Sprinkle the cut halves with salt and pepper. Crush and remove the skin from the garlic cloves. Add a little oil to the bottom of a baking dish, and place the garlic and squash in the pan. Cook for 45-60 minutes, until the squash is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- In the meantime, set the sunflower seeds in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 or more minutes to soften them. Strain them, and add them to a blender, along with the water, lemon juice and spices, and blend until it is smooth, soft, and creamy. Set aside.
- Dice the half onion and roughly chop the carrots. In a pot, sauté the vegetables in olive oil for a few minutes before adding the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cooking until the carrots are tender.
- Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to cool enough to handle. Scrape the squash away from the skin, and put the cooked squash directly into the simmering soup along with the garlic. Add the maple syrup and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth (alternatively, you can blend in batches in a standing blender or food processor). Season to taste.
- Assemble the soup by pouring a ladle of the squash soup in a bowl, and topping with a scoop of the sunflower seed cream- you can try and spiral it if you’re feeling ambitious, but it tastes just as good plopped on top. Enjoy warm.
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Love this soup and uses of squash! YUM! I’m a new follower.
Looks nice and tasty 🙂