Japanese pumpkins, called “kabocha”, are very dense and have a semi-sweet flavour like a combination of chestnuts and purple sweet potato, which makes this pumpkin soup so delicious! Japanese pumpkin soup is perfect for chilly nights when you want to get snuggly and warm and it goes perfectly with some crusty baguette!
I love pumpkin soup but only when it’s made with Kabocha, but unfortunately Kabocha isn’t very common in Australia and it can be quite tricky to find. Luckily, a couple Sunday’s ago when we went to the organic market to enjoy our weekly soy mocha treat and get some veggies and fruits, I found it! There was about 5 pumpkins that looked like Kabocha to me but the stall’s vegetable grower wasn’t actually sure what type of pumpkin it was, so we just bought half of one and when I got home and cooked it, it turned out to be Kabocha! I was so excited and wished I had bought more. So last Sunday we went back and bought some more and I got to make my favourite Japanese pumpkin soup!
Apparently, they call Kabocha “Gem Squash” at the market but Coles (grocery store in Australia) used to sell them too and they always labelled it “Kabocha”. Hopefully the markets will always have kabocha but just in case they don’t, I have decided to keep the seeds and I’m going to grow them in my little backyard veggie patch and try to grow them myself. I hope it will grow well because usually my vegetables get eaten by possums or bugs so I never get to harvest anything. Fingers crossed! Then I’ll be able to make Kabocha soup whenever I want.
I can’t wait until it’s a bit colder in Australia so I can make this more often because I love it so much! Kabocha makes the best pumpkin soup because it has that sweet nutty taste because of it’s chestnut and sweet potato mixed flavour. I hope you enjoy this recipe and try out this Japanese pumpkin soup!
Ingredients
- 800 g Kabocha seeded and peeled
- 750 ml of chicken stock
- 125 ml milk
- 125 ml cooking cream
- 3 slices of bacon rashers
- 1 large onion
- Half a carrot
- 30 g butter
Instructions
- Peel the kabocha and cut it into small chunks.
- Cut the bacon, onion and carrot into small pieces as well.
- In a large pot, heat some butter on low heat then add the onion, carrots, and bacon.
- Cook until the onion has caramelised then add the kabocha.
- Add the chicken stock and cook for about 20 minutes over low heat, occasionally removing the scum on the surface.
- With an electric hand mixer, blend the soup mixture until the kabocha is smooth.
- Add the milk and cream and once they have warmed, remove from the heat.
- Serve with some bread or croutons!
Notes
Nutrition
I used a pie pumpkin for this and it was incredible. Since it is not quite as sweet as kabocha, I simply added about 1 tbsp of sugar at the end and dissolved it in, but that wasn’t even necessary, because it was actually very delicious before doing that. Adding the sugar did give it a little more depth though, so I prefer it. The bacon gives this soup such a delicious umami flavor. It’s such a rich combination of ingredients, it doesn’t even need seasoning. Thanks for the recipe! I am sure I will make this for years to come!
You are welome Lion 😀 I am glad that you liked this soup. This is my favourite soup.
I veganized this by replacing the butter with oil, bacon for mushrooms seasoned with liquid smoke, paprika, and soy sauce, and the milk with non dairy. Its so yummy, I’ll definitely be making this again!!!
Hi Kendra, Thank you for making this. Kabocha pumpkin is my favourite pumpkin and even better you tweaked it to eat more veggies <3
amazing recipe thank you !
thank you! enjoy!
Oh my, look at that gorgeous color, and how creamy it is! It looks and sounds absolutely delicious and sopping up the last little bit with some crusty bread sounds phenomenal!
Thank you Kathleen, yes how bright yellow Kabocha meat is! Photogenic vege:D
Anything with bacon and I’m soooo in! Thanks for sharing. Beautiful pics!
Thank you Felesha:D
This is the second recipe recipe I have seen today that has kabocha in the ingredient list. A sign 😛
Hi Shreyashi, I have been looking for Kabocha ages and finally they are available outside of Japan, seems to be everywhere not just in Australia:D
We are in love with this fresh and beautiful soup! Than you so much for sharing!
Thank you, I am glad you like the soup:D
My so called me last night to say I need to make more Japanese food and then I see this beautiful recipe. Go figure!
Hi Peter, thank you. It must be a sign:D to cook something Japanese:D
Wow, I am totally taken away by the beauty of this pumpkin soup.. I would sit staring at it for some time before i dig at such beauty
Thank you Fareeha:D. Kabocha has very blight yellow meat and dense yummy chest nutty sweet flavour.