All Roads Lead to the Kitchen: Kabocha Squash

I've mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of veggie puree-style soups. At risk of offending, they remind me of baby food. Every single time. Without fail. I always find myself adding "just a little bit more" liquid when I try making one. In other words, if I can see the ripples of the puree piled on itself in the bowl, it's not soup. It's more like applesauce. Or squashsauce. Or carrotsauce. Or what-have-you-sauce.

You might remember this beautifully brothy Buttercup Squash Soup I made last January. Compared to that soup, this stuff is thick. But that is neither here nor there, because other than the fact that both soups contain winter squash, they're pretty much nothing alike. Oh wait, they also both have nuts... that one almonds, this one walnuts. But other than that, no resemblance.

For some reason, I feel the urge to clarify that I don't dislike thick soups... I'm huge fan of chowders and bisques and stews and chilis. And even beautiful creamy pureed soups like this one. It's just those darn glumpy purees that scream baby food that I tend to raise my nose at.

Anyhoo, this soup features kabocha squash, which once roasted, is creamy and sweet. The richness of cream lends a silkiness that almost makes each bite feel naughty. The miniscule drizzles of honey and truffle oil on top volley for your attention... sweet or musky, sweet or musky. And then there is those earthy, oily, toasted walnuts that lend crunch to each spoonful.

It's pretty fabulous.

Creamy Kabocha Squash Soup w/ Toasted Walnuts, Honey, & Truffle Oil

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: ~1 hour (mostly unattended)

Keywords: soup/stew squash truffle oil nuts American fall winter

Ingredients (~7 c.)

1 Kabocha squash
olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
~4 c. chicken stock
1 c. heavy cream
chopped, toasted walnuts
honey
white truffle oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Cut Kabocha in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds.

Drizzle squash with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Set, cut side down, on prepared tray. Slide into preheated oven and roast until tender, ~45 minutes. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, scoop the tender flesh out of the skin (you should get ~24 oz.).

Combine roasted squash with chicken stock in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for ~10 minutes. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender (or do this carefully in a regular blender). Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until it is just about to bubble, then turn off the stove.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls or mugs and garnish each serving with a couple of tablespoons of toasted walnuts, a long drizzle of honey, and several drops of white truffle oil.

Enjoy!

This is already week 11 of our 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! Head on over to check out what my co-host Joanne made today...and then please share your winter squash posts with us below.

1. Pomegranate-Glazed Eggplant, Tempeh, and Squash	2. Creamy Kabocha Soup w/ Walnuts, Honey, Truffle Oil	3. Butternut Squash and Apple Soup	4. Butternut Squash Flatbread	5. Raw Beet and Butternut Slaw	6. Butternut Squash and Quinio Salad with Honey Balsm	7. Parmesan Roasted Squash
8. Kabocha squash and coconut pudding

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FOTMC: Soup

When it comes to winter squash, I've come to the conclusion that, in general, my favorite way to prepare it is to roast it. And I like it best unpeeled. I love the deep, natural sweetness that comes to the surface... the edges turn golden... the skin turns pleasantly chewy... I am entirely happy just eating it like this.

So really, what sets one roasted squash apart from the next roasted squash? The seasonings, of course. And the sauce. Ah yes, the secret's in the sauce.

In this version, that salt-of-the-earth, sweaty-quality of cumin seeds is the accent. And throwing in some green onions to roast with the squash near the end. I actually think that I could triple the quantity of green onions in this recipe and still not have enough. Keep that in mind if you're a green onion-lover.

And then there's the creamy, tangy drizzle of lemon and tahini that finishes the whole thing off. You'll definitely want to pass this around and let everybody spoon more of it onto their own plates to swipe bites of squash through on the way to their mouth.

I'm still feeling pretty darn proud of myself for ending this year on such a virtuous note. I credit that with turning to the exploration of winter squash (instead of holiday sweets...not that I didn't go there...just not as in-depth as I could have).

Roasted Winter Squash w/ Lemon-Tahini Dressing

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: ~30 minutes

Keywords: roast entree side vegan lemons squash winter fall

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 small kabocha squash, scrubbed & cut into 1"-thick wedges, seeded
1 (~1 lb) delicata squash, scrubbed, cut into 1"-thick rings or slices, seeded
~7 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1½ tsp. cumin seeds, divided
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, sliced on the bias into 2" pieces
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs. tahini (sesame seed paste)
crushed red chile flakes

Instructions

Arrange oven racks into upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425° F.

Place the prepped kabocha on one baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place the prepped delicata on another. Drizzle about 1½ tablespoons of the oil over each baking sheet and then sprinkle with all but about ¼ teaspoon of the cumin seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything around so that all surfaces of the squash get lightly coated in everything. Slide into oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Combine remaining cumin seed, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and scallions in a smal bowl, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Divide scallions evenly over squash and continue to roast until squash is tender (but not mushy), ~15 minutes more.

In the meantime, put the lemon juice, tahini, and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small jar with a tightly fitting lid. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Screw on lid and shake like crazy until smooth and combined.

Put the squash and onions onto a serving platter and drizzle with the lemon-tahini dressing (as much as you like...hold some back to serve alongside, as well); sprinkle with crushed red chiles.

slightly adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, December 2012

This is already week #10 of 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! So, while it is the last one of 2012, we're heading into a new year to finish it out. Be sure to stop by my co-host Joanne's place to see what she made with winter squash this week, and then share your own creations below. Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year!