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A blue bowl filled with orange, pureed soup, toasted croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.
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5 from 3 votes

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Buttery Croutons

Move over butternut — this creamy soup gets its thick, velvety texture from roasted kabocha squash aka Japanese pumpkin. With a perfect balance of savory roasted squash, a touch of cream and layers of maple, cinnamon and nutmeg...this soup is autumn in a bowl!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 512kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 medium kabocha squash (about 2lbs) halved vertically, seeds removed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 3 large shallots, or 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream or 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • salt

Buttery Croutons (Optional)

  • 2 cups cubed, slightly stale bread; seeded country loaf, sourdough or ciabatta
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp flakey sea salt or 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the the inside. Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side down, until tender and completely cooked through, about 40 to 50 minutes. Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
  • Line an additional baking tray with parchment paper and scatter the bread cubes in a single even layer. Drizzle the melted butter and salt over the bread and toss to coat. As soon as the squash comes out of the oven, turn the oven temperature down to 375 F and bake the croutons until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, stirring half way through.
  • Meanwhile, in a large pot or dutch oven melt the butter over medium heat then add the sliced shallot and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium - low heat for 10 minutes, or until soft and translucent then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently about 2 minutes.
  • With a large spoon, scoop out the flesh of the roasted squash and transfer it into the pot, discard the skin. Next, add the chicken stock, maple syrup, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg and another generous pinch of salt. Bring the soup to a low simmer, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, then turn off the heat, pour in the cream and blend with an immersion blender (or in batches with a countertop blender, see notes below) until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
  • To serve, divide the soup between bowls, top with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve right away.

Notes

How to Purée Soup–With or Without an Immersion Blender:

  • By far the easiest way to purée a soup is with an immersion blender. Place the blade end of the immersion blender into the bottom of your soup pot and puree until smooth. To avoid splatters, be sure the blade is completely submerged while blending. My immersion blender or "stick blender" is one of my holy grail kitchen appliances. It's perfect for quickly blending together soups, sauces, salad dressing, aioli.. etc. It's compact and easy to clean, if you don't have one already I highly recommend this one by Kitchen Aid.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular countertop blender but you need do so carefully and in small batches. Before getting started allow the soup to cool off on the stove, uncovered for 5-10 minutes. In batches, transfer the soup to you blender filling it no more than halfway, then place the lid on loosely leaving it slightly ajar so steam can escape then blend on the lowest/slowest setting until smooth and creamy. Repeat as needed until all of the soup is puréed.
 
Storing and Re-heating Leftovers:
  • Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the soup as needed.
  • Freezing Instructions: Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge then reheat in the microwave  or on the stove until piping hot, stir well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 1193mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 24929IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3mg