Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup
Dairy and gluten free golden delicious Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup! I added extra spices to make it healthy and truly exceptional. Make a big pot for friends and family to keep your warm in colder months.
What is Kabocha ?
Kabocha is a type of winter squash that originated in Japan. It has a lovely creamy and earthy flavor and is often used in stew and soup.
Some people enjoy Kabocha squash with the green-color skin still-on, but my personal preference is to slice the outer shell off and keep the soup stew creamy and naturally sweet.
Ways of making Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup
There are multiple ways of slicing open Kabocha. Most people suggest roasting it in oven at 400F for 18-20 minutes, and others suggest using the microwave to make the outer skin softer before slicing.
I sort of just went ahead with a sharp knife (and a steady non-slip cutting board) and made an incision that was slightly away from the center stem and rocked my knife slowly to cut them in half.
If you are comfortable with your knife skills, I personally feel this saves some time as opposed to roasting in the oven first. However, if you aren’t comfortable with my method, please feel free to experiment with the roasting method.
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Turmeric and Grated Frozen Ginger: golden delicious !
In the recipe below I didn’t include spice seasoning measurements because it’s more fun this way and you can make adjustments to your own liking. You can do it ! :)) If you aren’t sure, start with a small quantity (like a pinch or two) because you can always add more, but you can’t take any away if you overdo it;)
Why freeze fresh ginger in the freezer? I like to add grated frozen ginger to soup and vegetable stir-fry for extra flavor. Frozen grated ginger gives a nice ginger flavor that’s milder tasting than fresh grated ginger. I think it adds a wonderful addition to many dishes. So, next time, if you have a small piece of ginger left and aren’t sure what to do …store it in the freezer !
So my dear readers, be sure to add this golden delicious and soul warming Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup to your shopping trip. It’ll keep you warm, happy, and healthy, and everyone in your family will love it !
Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium size kabocha, diced to bite-size cubes, seeds/skin removed
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Turmeric powder
- Vietnamese cinnamon
- Coarse salt
- Full fat coconut milk, stir-well
- Fresh ginger, grated (tip: store a small thumb size piece of fresh ginger in the freezer in a small container)
Quick Kale sauté:
- 1 large bunch of curly kale, discard stems and roughly chopped
- 1 large size shallots, slice to thin strips
- 1-2 tbsp broth or water
Instructions
Soup Steps:
- Use a sharp knife to cut the kabocha in half, avoid cutting through the center stem point section. Carefully wiggle your knife in rocking motion. Do this slowly.* Cut the half kabocha further into (4) quarter pieces. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and remove the skin with a knife. Dice them further to smaller cube sizes.
- Preheat a large (6 qt.) dutch oven or heavy soup pot with 2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil, when hot, add diced shallots. Season with a small pinch of salt and saute until fragrant (about 10-12 seconds). Add diced kabocha, season with another pinch of salt. Saute for a few additional minutes. Add stock that’s just enough to cover the squash. Add turmeric and cinnamon powder. Give a stir and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat until the squash turns soft.
- Use an immersion blender (or scoop the squash to a regular blender) to blend the squash until creamy smooth. Reheat the squash soup over medium-low heat and add full-fat coconut milk to your desired consistency. Grate a 1 teaspoon of frozen ginger, give a quick stir and see if you’d like to add more spices. Serve hot or slightly chilled with any protein of your choice or top with some simple kale sauté. Enjoy a bowl of lovely and healthy delicious Turmeric ginger squash soup for colder nights !
Simple Caramelized Kale sauté:
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot lower the heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp avocado oil and sliced shallots. Season with a small pinch of salt and sauté until fragrant.
- Add roughly chopped kale leaves. Keep sautéing for a few additional minutes. Add 1-2 tbsp broth and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow kale to cook a few additional minutes. Season with a bit more salt and drizzle with a bit extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Notes
- Seasoning measurements: I didn’t include spice seasoning measurements because it’s more fun this way and you can make adjustments to your own liking. You can do it ! :)) If you aren’t sure, start with a small quantity (like a pinch or two) because you can always add more, but you can’t take any away if you overdo it;)
- Why freeze fresh ginger in the freezer? I like to add grated frozen ginger to soup and vegetable stir-fry for extra flavor. Frozen grated ginger gives a nice ginger flavor that’s milder tasting than fresh grated ginger. I think it adds a wonderful addition to many dishes. So, next time, if you have a small piece of ginger left and aren’t sure what to do ...store it in the freezer !
- Check out this blog post link to see how to cut kabocha
Nutrition
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Check out my iPhone one-hand cooking – Behind the scene Turmeric Ginger Kabocha Soup – Take 1. Let me know what you think !
Music from CAPYAC
What to pair with the soup ?
Filipino Skirt Steak Cauliflower Fried Rice
I let my girls pick out our squashes at the market every weekend, and one of my girls always – always! picks the kobocha! I’ll make this for her next time! Thanks!
Kabocha squash is my favorite type of squash! I need to make this recipe. Love the color!
This Kabocha squash soup is beautiful! I love that squash, especially in soups, it’s so creamy and delicious and perfect with turmeric and ginger. Yum!
A gorgeous soup for fall. I looooove kabocha!
This is my family’s favorite winter squash. Love the method of baking it first, before slicing; that helps so much. This soup is lovely!!
This soup looks silky smooth and full of flavor! The perfect cook weather food!
Kabocha is my absolute favourite squash. I always just eat it roasted, but I absolutely have to try this soup! Beautiful as always xx
Gorgeous, seasonal and SO healthy!
This looks so cozy and nourishing which sounds perfect right now since we’re in the middle of a 3 day snow storm!
Nothing better than a big bowl of squash soup for Sunday night winter dinners – good one!
That soup looks so silky good! And turmeric anything, sign me up!
It is such a gorgeous color! I love kabocha squash, I’d love to try this!
I’m totally obsessed with turmeric right now. And I have a huge squash that I just got from the Farmer’s Market. Making this soon.
This is beautiful! I love the greens on top!
Can I use fresh turmeric and how much? I’m guessing I could just fine grate a tablespoon or two.
Hi Edward, thank you. Yes you can definitely try it. I haven’t had chance to test with fresh turmeric but would love to know too !
So delicious! So so delicious! I roasted the squash first (that is, peeled and cut into chunks), but I don’t know if that makes a difference in taste. The cinnamon was a nice touch. I topped mine with cilantro and a squirt of lime. Thank you for sharing this recipe; what a nice introduction to this wonderful squash. I will be making this soup again.
That sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing, Melisa! I love kabocha squash, too!