The Best Kabocha Squash Soup

This is the BEST velvety Kabocha Squash Soup – the squash is roasted in the oven with loads of garlic, making the flavor so rich and delicious.

How to make squash soup

Here's how to make this delicious fall soup:

1. Toss squash, carrots, onion and garlic with salt & pepper and olive oil on a baking sheet.
2. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice partway through.
3. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool. Blend vegetables with broth.
4. Blend in cream, sage, thyme and apple cider vinegar.
5. Serve soup in large bowls garnished with pumpkin seeds and scallions.
6. Serve with baguette if desired and enjoy!

Ingredients in this soup

This is one of my fave ever fall soup recipes! Here's what you need on hand:

• olive oil
• 1 kabocha squash (or any squash will do)
• 2 carrots
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves (trust me, you really do need this much!)
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp fresh sage or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (you just need that little splash of acid at the end so use any vinegar)

What does a kabocha squash taste like?

As with many other winter squash varieties such as butternut, kabocha is relatively high in starchy carbs. Those starches give the squash a slightly sweet flavor, similar to pumpkin, but with a nuttier flavour.

Is kabocha squash high in carbs?

Although it is low in calories, almost 25 percent of the calories in the vegetable are from starchy carbohydrates. There are 49 calories, 12 grams of carbs, and 2.5 grams of fiber in a 1-cup serving.

Ingredient substitutions

• olive oil – This to drizzle over the vegetables before roasting them in the oven. Any neutral flavor cooking oil will work.
• carrots – Because the carrots are combined with the squash, it’s best to use orange, yellow, or white carrots. You could even use parsnip if you want to.
• yellow onion – white onion will also work. Or, for a sweeter flavor, use purple onion or shallot.
• garlic cloves -Whole cloves of fresh garlic that you mince yourself will have better flavor. But, you can substitute minced garlic from a jar if needed. If you want to use garlic powder instead, cut the amount to 1 tbsp.
• vegetable broth – using vegetable broth or stock keeps this soup vegetarian, but feel free to use chicken broth or stock if you already have it on hand.
• heavy cream – Full fat dairy products like this one are the key to creating creamy soup. If you’re unable to use dairy products, you can use coconut milk instead. To lower the calories, half & half is a good choice in place of heavy cream.
• apple cider vinegar – Adding a small amount of an acidic ingredient like vinegar or juice from a lemon or lime brightens the flavors of your soup!

Sauteeing instead of roasting

If you’d like to skip using a hot oven, feel free to saute the vegetables in a pot on the stove top.

Rather than drizzling the vegetables with oil, simply add the oil to a hot pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and completely cooked through. From there, blend the veggies and other ingredients as usual.

What to serve with this soup

For a cozy lunch on a cool day, this soup is perfect with a side of bread, or served in a bread bowl!

To serve it for a light weeknight dinner, pair it with a delicious and healthy Brussels sprouts salad or Green Goddess grilled cheese sandwiches.

Storing and reheating

Be sure to refrigerate any soup in an airtight container, and for the best flavor, serve or freeze it within 5 days.

Reheat your meal in a pot on the stove top over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can do so using medium power in the microwave.

Freezing the soup

Although the soup may be kept frozen for up to 4 months, there is one possible issue to be aware of.

Creamy soups that include dairy products often separate during the freezing and thawing process. Typically, if you stir the soup while reheating, it will recombine.

Even if it doesn’t recombine, it’s safe to eat. However, the consistency and texture will be less creamy.

More squash recipes

• Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup
• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers