Kabocha Squash Soup (Japanese Pumpkin Soup)

Kabocha squash soup utilises the special Japanese pumpkin to create a heavenly creamy and elevated soup that’s comforting and flavourful. It’s so quick and simple to make but has a robust taste and a soothing quality that seems like it was stewed for hours. Every bowl of this soup flows with the mellow sweet and savoury blend of Japanese kabocha squash with its unique chestnut like taste. It’s unlike any soup you’ve tried before. Prepare it in no time and enjoy every bite as the flavours burst by the spoonful!

Why You Will Love This Japanese Pumpkin Soup

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 and unique! It’s the perfect dish for the autumn weather as the leaves fall and the days get chilly and all you want to do is snuggle up with a comforting soup. 

It’s very easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes so it’s a great dish to eat during the week when you’re short on time. You can also prepare it in bulk and eat the leftovers throughout the week. Reheating this soup doesn’t affect the flavour; it’ll still taste just as delicious. 

This kabocha squash soup is made with chicken stock and bacon for a full-bodied flavour but can easily be adjusted to suit a vegetarian diet! Simply omit the bacon and swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth.

What Is Kobocha ?

Kabocha is a type of Japanese pumpkin and belongs to the group of winter squashes. It’s distinguishable by it’s round stocky shape, dark deep green skin, and orangey yellow flesh. Unlike other pumpkins that become mushy and watery when cooked, kabocha keeps its dense form and becomes tender and moist with no sogginess. In Japan, we typically cook it simmered in a sweet soy sauce and eat it as a side dish. However, it also tastes wonderful roasted, in salads, baked in bread, in sweets like muffins, and, of course, as a soup. 

It isn’t always easy to find kabocha squash but luckily I found it at my local organic farmers market couple. There were 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 squash! I went to get more and used it to make this comforting bowl of soup. 

Ingredients Needed To Make Japanese Pumpkin Soup

There are only 8 simple ingredients needed for this rich and creamy soup.

Ingredients Needed To Make Japanese Pumpkin Soup

There are only 8 simple ingredients needed for this rich and creamy soup.

Produce

In addition to the kabocha, I used an entire onion and half of a carrot. You can use more carrots if you want, but I didn’t want it to overpower the pumpkin’s flavor.

Chicken Stock

Make sure you use chicken stock and not chicken broth. Chicken stock has a thicker mouth feel and will enhance the texture of the soup.

If you don’t have chicken stock, you can use vegetable stock as a quick replacement.

Cream and Butter

These dairy ingredients sweeten the soup and make it taste even richer. Use cooking cream, milk, and butter. This will help make the pumpkin soup extra creamy. If you are vegan or don’t eat dairy, you can try using coconut milk and olive oil in place of the milk and butter. This will not achieve the same creaminess though.

Bacon

You don’t have to use bacon rashers – any thickness will do fine. Thinly-sliced bacon is the best, but it doesn’t actually matter either way. The smokiness of the bacon pairs beautifully with the sweet creaminess of the kabocha squash.

Extras

To elevate the soup even more, try adding even more flavour enhancers like some ginger or garlic cloves, and sprinkle salt and black pepper. You can even add to the flavour by making roasted kabocha squash soup. To do this, first roast the pumpkin in the oven before adding to the soup. This will create a toasty roasted flavour which will make the soup very delicious.

How To Make Kabocha Soup

If you have ever made a creamy soup before, then this will be really simple. It’s even easy to learn for beginning cooks!

All the exact steps are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here is a quick overview along with some helpful tips.

Prepare The Produce

The very first step is to prepare the vegetables. Peel and cut the pumpkin into small chunks with a sharp knife as it is a dense vegetable. Do the same with the onion and carrot.

Sauté Produce With Bacon And Butter

This part smells so good! Heat some butter (about 1 tbsp) in a skillet and saute the onion, carrots, and bacon. After the onion caramelizes, add the pumpkin.

Cook With Chicken Stock

Next, add the chicken stock. Then, let this simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat and remove the scum that rises to the surface. This is going to help your soup become nice and creamy.

Puree The Soup

Either use an electric mixer, immersion blender, or food processor for this step. Blend the soup mixture until everything is nice and smooth.

Add The Milk and Cream

Save this step for last. This way, you just stir in the milk and cream right before you serve it and the cream won’t burn.

What To Serve With Japanese Pumpkin Soup

This soup tastes amazing with a loaf of crusty bread to dip into it! You can even serve other kabocha recipes with it. Simmered kabocha squash is soft and slightly sweet. Japanese kabocha bread has lots of the same flavors in it too. Or, enjoy it as mashed kabocha salad. Tempura kabocha is another popular dish too and one of my favourites!

FAQ

Related Recipes

If you enjoyed this Japanese pumpkin soup recipe, here are some more soup recipes you might want to try next. They are some of my favorites.

• Japanese Miso Soup
• Ozoni -Japanese New Year Mochi Soup
• Basic Ramen Broth
• Egg Drop Soup
• Japanese Clear Soup

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 its chestnut and sweet potato mixed flavour.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and try out this Japanese pumpkin soup!

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