How to Make Cozy Kabocha Soup 🍂

This kabocha soup looks fancy but it's weeknight easy. Battery onions, nutmeg and a white miso give it the kind restaurant quality depth at home. Watch the blender turn glossy then crown it with crunchy croutons and roasted peel. For a printable version of this recipe there's my website, just google kabocha soup statue to find me. Before we start cube 100 grams of baguette for croutons and set aside. Soften or melt one tablespoon of butter so it coats the bread evenly later and thinly slice half an onion. If you want extra umami drop a piece of kombu into 300 milliliters of water but it's totally optional. Now scoop out the seeds and pulp from the kabocha squash. It should be about 450 grams after the deseeding. Lay it safely on a stable cutting board and shave off the tough green skin in downward strokes. The thinner the better. Add those clean skins to the crouton bowl. We will use them later. Once peeled chop the flesh into large irregular chunks. Let's talk ingredients for a moment. We're using kabocha squash, a naturally sweet nutty winter squash. You might find it at well-stocked Asian groceries or full farmer's markets. Can't find kabocha but cupped squash is your best bet and butternut squash works well too. Just simmer a little longer to concentrate the flavour. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Toast 100 grams of baguette cubes and clean kabocha peels we saved earlier with one tablespoon of olive oil. One teaspoon of dry mixed herbs. A teaspoon of salt. And that one tablespoon of melted butter. Let me tell you why these croutons and skin chips matter. This type of silky soup can taste repetitive after a few spoonfuls. Velvety, yes, but predictable. The thick textural contrast and aromatic punches. Crispy croutons wake up your palate between silky sips while those roasted kabocha skins add an earthy, almost savoury umami note that circles back to the soup's main ingredient. Spread on an upper rack in a single layer and bake 10 minutes until golden and crisp. While we wait for the oven, set a heavy pot over medium-low heat and melt 20 grams of unsalted butter. Add the sliced onion with a quarter teaspoon of salt and cook gently until translucent and sweet. Stop just before golden. Stir in the kabocha chunks with another quarter teaspoon of salt. Toss one to two minutes to coat in batter and start softening the edges. When the edges begin to break, add 300 millilitres of water or use kombu dashi. Cover and simmer on low 10 to 15 minutes until a spoon crushes the kabocha easily. Keep the bubbling lazy to preserve colour and a fresh, sweet aroma. Take the pot off the heat and blend with a blender or immersion blender, starting low and moving to high. When smooth, add 10 grams of coat unsalted butter and blend 20 to 30 seconds more to micro emulsify for gloss and body. If you want the kind of texture that makes guests ask, did you really make this at home? Pour your blended soup through a fine mesh strainer or chinois into a clean pot. Use the back of a ladle or spoon to press the puree through, leaving behind any lingering fibres or skin fragments. Turn the pot to low heat and stir in 150 millilitres of heavy cream and 150 millilitres of whole milk. If you prefer, you can substitute 300 millilitres of half and half instead of using them separately. Add the final quarter teaspoon of salt and a pinch of nutmeg. Then let it barely simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then so a skin doesn't form. Once dairy enters, high heat is the enemy. Boiling can curdle milk proteins and make the cream split into greasy puddles, so keep it gentle. Turn off the heat and whisk in half teaspoon of white miso. Make sure to taste test at this point. Every kabocha varies in sweetness, so grab a spoon and taste. If the spoon feels flat or one-dimensional, add salt one pinch at a time. When overboard, rescue it by whisking in milk a tablespoon at a time until balanced. Keep adjusting until the kabocha's natural sweetness suddenly pops on your tongue. Ladle into warm bowls. A little white pepper. Scatter the kabocha skin croutons and sprinkle parsley to finish. And that's our kabocha soup. Silky, gently sweet and quietly luxurious with those herby kabocha skin croutons. One spoonful and it tastes like a calm fall evening. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description. Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time and if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen. Want to learn every detail behind this recipe? You can find the full version and step-by-step tips on my website. Just tap the link on screen. And for more recipes like this, head to my soup playlist coming up on your screen. Thanks for watching.