Japanese Pumpkin Soup
(Kabocha かぼちゃ)

 
 

This small batch recipe makes 4-5 cups of soup using either an Instant Pot or stove pot.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) or butternut squash (700-800g)

  • 2 small sweet potatoes (373g)

  • 1 onion (roughly cut)

  • 2-3 cloves garlic (smashed) 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil 

  • 4 cups of broth (You can use stock cubes or water too)

  • 150ml Coconut milk (approx half a can)  you can also use milk or cream

Spices:

  • 1/2 tsp garam masala 

  • 1/2 tsp ground thyme 

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tbsp salt 

  • 1/2 tbsp ground rosemary 

  • 1/2 tbsp ground ginger 

A poof of pepper and nutmeg to personal taste 

Prep

  • Wash the pumpkin skin very well, remove the seeds, and roughly chop.

  • Peel the sweet potatoes and roughly chop. 

  • Peel the onion and garlic, roughly chop the onions and smash the garlic with the side of your knife.
    Optionally, leave the garlic cloves whole.

Saute

  • On medium heat in your Instant Pot or large stove pot, add olive oil and sauté onions and garlic for about 10-15 min until lightly browned.

  • Kill the heat, and add all the spices.

  • Add a small amount of the broth to deglaze your Instant Pot or stove pot and stirring to coat the onions and garlic.

  • Place pumpkin and potatoes and whole into the pot.

  • Use broth to cover all the veggies.

Cook

  • Set the Instant Pot to 10 min on high pressure. 

  • Let the Instant Pot release naturally for about 25mins and then finish the steam release manually.

    If using a stovetop, bring the broth and veggies to a boil and then cover. Then bring it down to a simmer for 15-20min or until all veg is soft enough to easily mush with a spoon.

  • Turn off the heat, remove the lid and add in the coconut milk to help it cool down.

Blend

  • Leave the broth and veggies to cool down before blending.

  • Using an immersion blender, purée it all. Unceremoniously purée! It should be thick and smooth.

  • Give it a taste, add salt and pepper and more spice if needed. Finish with some coconut milk or cream on top! 

    Caution: If using a closed-lid blender while the soup is still hot, leave the lid off and instead put a cloth over the blender to hold down the splatter. Otherwise blending with a closed lid with hot soup can causes the contents to pressurized and explode!

Style

  • Carefully place as many dots of coconut milk as you like in the soup and swirl with a chopstick or thin end of a spoon.

and that’s how you make delicious Japanese pumpkin soup with coconut milk!