Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Is there anything more cozy than soup?  I don't think so.  As you likely already know, a few weeks ago I said I was working my way through all the squash and someone reached out to me on Instagram to ask if I'd tried kabocha squash yet.  I hadn't and I didn't remember seeing it at Trader Joes, but she said I needed to try it, so I added it to my list.  A few days later, Ryan and I were at Whole Foods picking up a few items before going out of town for Thanksgiving and I saw they had kabocha squash, so I picked one up and thought I would find a way to make it later.

Now that we're back home after eating lots of heavy food for Thanksgiving, I've been craving light meals.  I've been eating lots of salads and a cozy squash soup seemed like the perfect meal for this week.  I looked at a few recipes and didn't have all the ingredients they called for, so this is a super simple, yet utterly delicious version of a kabocha squash soup.  You really don't need much since the squash itself is so light and sweet.  The basics: roast the squash, put it in a blender with some veggie stock and coconut milk (or cream) and season to taste.  It really is that simple and you get a warm and hearty meal out of it.

So where does kabocha rank on my list of squash?  Well I think butternut is still my favorite and then delicata, but kabocha is up there with acorn squash in third place.  Next week I'm making spaghetti squash, which I know is also a popular one but I haven't been a huge fan of in the past.  We'll see where it ranks after this next recipe!

Total Time: 35-40 minutes

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

1 kabocha squash, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic

3 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup coconut milk (or cream)

2 tbs avocado oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional: top with favorite hot sauce & pepitas

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Toss squash pieces and garlic cloves in olive oil, salt & pepper and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.  Toss 2-3 times throughout baking.
3. Allow the squash to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding to a blender with the vegetable stock and coconut milk and blend until combined.
4. Serve warm with optional toppings.