Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

 Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Roasted kabocha squash soup, thick and creamy, 

with ginger, cumin, and coriander. Perfect for fall!

Have you come across "Kabocha" squash in the market? It's a Japanese variety of winter squash, one that is heavy and thick-fleshed, similar in that way to butternut squash, with a deep, rich flavor.

Ingredients
A half a large kabocha squash, seeded (about 3 to 4 pounds for the half)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped or sliced onions
2 ribs of celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 Tbsp)
1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups of chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish with lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Roast the squash: 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a heavy chef's knife or cleaver (it helps if you have a rubber mallet as well) to cut the kabocha squash half into a few large pieces. (Kabocha squash is thick and meaty and can be a challenge to cut. So take care! Make sure the squash is stable on your cutting board before you start to cut it.)
Scoop out the seeds (you can toast them like pumpkin seeds!) and stringy insides. Place the squash pieces on a foil or silpat lined roasting pan. Rub olive oil over all sides, and sprinkle with salt.

Put the squash pieces skin side up on the pan. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until completely cooked through, soft, and caramelized at the edges. Remove from oven and let sit.  When cool scoop from peel and set aside

Sauté onions, celery, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander: 

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large (4 to 6 quart) thick-bottomed pan. Add the onions and celery. Lower the heat to medium and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, and coriander and cook 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat. Remove baked squash from skin and add to cooked vegetables with chicken stock.  Cook 2 minutes.Use an immersion blender (or work in batches with a standing blender, only filling the blender bowl 1/3 of the way each time) to puree the soup.  Reheat to serving temp.Add more salt to taste.  Sprinkle with lime juice and chopped cilantro to serve!

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Typically the outer skin is forest green, though some varieties are sunset orange and red as well.