Kabocha Squash Soup

The cold weather is the air and for me, there’s nothing better than a bowl of warm you to the core soup. We like all kinds of soups in our household, lentil, broccoli cheese, cauliflower and our favorite beer cheese.  With the heavy food we’ll all be ingesting over the next several weeks, it’s nice to have something comforting, but not leaving your reaching for the Pepto-Bismol bottle from overindulging. This Kabocha Squash Soup is great cause it’s thick, creamy, warm and slightly spicy. Kabocha squash is garnering a lot of attention lately. Take a back seat butternut squash, cause there’s a new kid in town! Kabocha squash looks like a bumpy green pumpkin but is sweet and tastes delicious. I’m seeing them everywhere now, unlike the days of yesteryear where I’d have to search 10 stores just to find one.

Next time you need a squash, give this little gem a try. Here’s one of my favorite ways to prepare it.

Don’t be intimidated by this guy. He’s not as fussy as he looks.

Start off by slicing him in half. These can be big and tough, so take your time.

Then scoop out the seeds, goop and stringy things. Only technical terms used here.

Cut the scooped out halves into 4-5 wedges depending on the size of the squash.

Lay on its flat side so you have a stable working surface and cut off the rough green skin.

Then all you have to do is cut the wedges into bite size pieces. Pat yourself on the back, you did it!

Lay the pieces on a sheet pan. Line it with aluminum foil or a Silpat for easy clean up. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil over the top and toss so all the pieces are coated.

Sprinkle on a little salt or use my FAVORITE seasoning Herbamare. It is prepared with fresh, organically grown herbs. The fresh herbs are combined with natural sea salt from salt marshes located in Camargue, South France. The mixture ‘steeps’ for up to one year before the moisture is removed by a special vacuum process, at a low temperature. This steeping process integrates the full herb and vegetable flavor into the salt crystal. Fancy huh? And worth every penny! You can get it online or at most health food stores. DO IT!

Roast the squash at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Put the squash, vegetable broth, brown sugar, salt and red pepper flakes into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Garnish with your favorite herb (I used a little basil) and enjoy!

 It’s Friday, so let’s get our Fiesta on with our co-hosts Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love.