Last weekend I tried the most delicious kabocha squash soup at a camping resort in Big Sur, California. The squashes were grown on site in their organic garden and it was the perfect thick soup to warm up with on a chilly, foggy night.

When I asked how the chef prepared the soup, I was told it was a simple vegan puree with fresh herbs a little bit of spice. As I marveled at how delicious each creamy spoonful was, I was reminded yet again at how simple meals like this really allow the true flavor of the ingredients to shine through.

Right now, squashes are everywhere! Butternut squash has always been the darling of the fall soup world, but I urge you to step out of the box a little bit and try kabocha squash. You’ve probably seen them at the store before—they look like wrinkly green pumpkins? When roasted, the flesh of the squash takes on a mellow sweet taste and is absolutely wonderful cubed up into salads or pureed into soups like this one.

This soup is easy to make, filling and delicious. You’ll never believe it’s dairy-free!

Kabocha Squash Soup

This squash soup is easy to make and filling. Jenna Weber of Eat, Live, Run shares this recipe in a full post at the Fresh Tastes blog.

Ingredients

• 1 large kabocha squash
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• ½ tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat.
2. Hack the kabocha squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Very carefully, hack the squash into thick pieces. Lay pieces on baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes until tender, flipping halfway through.
3. Let roasted squash cool then peel or slice off the green skin. Transfer squash to a food processor or blender and add the vegetable stock, salt, cayenne and brown sugar. Process until smooth.
4. Re-heat soup on the stove and garnish with fresh rosemary for serving.

Yield: 2 servings