Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup Food

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 400°F.

MAPLE-ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, chili powder, cayenne and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl to combine.
• Cut the squash in half and trim and discard both ends. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Place the squash cut-side down and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
• Toss the squash with the maple syrup mixture to coat evenly. Arrange the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, reserving the excess maple syrup mixture. Roast, flipping the squash and rotating the baking sheets top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown and tender, 24 to 26 minutes. While still hot, loosen the squash with a metal spatula from the baking sheets and flip to avoid sticking. Brush the squash with the reserved maple syrup mixture and transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH AND CELERY ROOT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F Cut the Kabocha squash in half with a very sharp knife, scrape out the seeds and strings, and place the halves cut-side down on a lightly oiled non-stick baking sheet. Peel the turnips and cut them in wedges. Peel the celery root and cut it in 1" pieces. Toss the turnips and celery root with about half a tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, and spread them on another baking sheet.
• Roast all the prepared vegetables in the hot oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the squash gives easily when poked with a wooden spoon, and the turnips and celery root are tender and flecked with dark brown (note: I found the celery root/turnips were done faster, at about 30 minutes Check on them periodically.) When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop it out of its shell.
• While those vegetables are roasting, cut the leeks in half lengthwise, wash them thoroughly and slice thinly, using only the white and very light green parts. Set aside. Chop the onion and sauté it gently in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, with a dash of salt and the rosemary, until it is soft and golden brown.
• In a soup pot, combine the roasted squash, turnips, celery root, leeks and sautéed onions with 4 cups water and a teaspoon of salt. Simmer the vegetables, covered, about twenty minutes to let them get perfectly soft. Add two cups vegetable broth, two tablespoons fresh lemon juice, a pinch of hot paprika or cayenne and 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup.
• Allow the soup to cool somewhat, then puree it in a blender or in the pot with an immersion blender. Add a little more vegetable broth if the soup is too thick to pour easily from a ladle. Return the soup to a clean pot and bring it back to a simmer.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Lower the heat and keep cooking the butter for a few minutes, stirring with a whisk, until it is a light golden brown. Stir the browned butter into the soup.
• Taste the soup, and correct the seasoning, whisking in more salt, lemon juice, or maple syrup as needed. This last step is essential, as Kabocha squashes can vary in sweetness, and lemons certainly vary in acidity. And as always, when working on the sweet-sour balance you reach that point where only a good pinch of salt will make it right.
• Drizzle a thin thread of olive oil on top of each serving of this soup, and then sprinkle it with a spoonful of toasted, chopped pecans.

ROASTED KABOCHA (JAPANESE PUMPKIN) SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F / 175°C.
• Cut kabocha in half, scoop out seeds and membranes, and set aside.
• Prick the kabocha flesh with a fork, brush with olive oil and place face down on a baking dish. Bake for about 40 mins at 350F/175°C or until tender.
• While the kabocha is roasting, clean and dry the seeds (as best you can) and toast them in a dry pan on med-high heat for about 5 minutes or until nicely golden brown and set aside. Alternately, you can bake them in the oven for about 10-20 minutes at 400F / 200°C.
• In a large pot, saute sliced onion in butter until soft.
• When the kabocha is soft, carefully (it's hot!) scoop the flesh in chunks out of the skin and add to the pot with onions. Alternately, you can wait for it too cool or roast it already peeled.
• Add the bouillon powder, water and cinnamon, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Cover the pot to keep it from splattering.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl. In batches, puree the mixture in a blender (only fill about 3/4 or less full), and add it back to the pan. If you have an immersion blender, even better, and you can just puree it all in the pan.
• Stir in the milk and heat gently over low heat, stirring frequently. Mix in salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls and top with toasted seeds.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the squashes in half horizontally. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Dice the preserved lemon rind.
• Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil, salt, pepper, diced preserved lemon rind, and a squeeze of lemon. Roast uncovered in the oven, 1 hour.
• Remove the squash from the oven. Cut into large wedges, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Serve immediately, or use in Pasta with Roasted Kabocha Squash and Pecorino Romano (see recipe).

KABOCHA PUMPKIN SOUP

Steps:

• Place kabocha squash cut-side down into a microwave-safe baking dish. Pour 1/2 inch water around the squash. Microwave on high until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
• Scoop kabocha squash flesh into the blender. Add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Blend until smooth.
• Pour blended mixture into a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP WITH PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Roast squash:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roast squash, cut sides down, in an oiled roasting pan in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, scrape flesh from skin.
• Fry sage leaves while squash roasts:
• Heat vegetable oil in a deep small saucepan until it registers 365°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Fry sage leaves in 3 batches until crisp, 3 to 5 seconds. Transfer leaves with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Cook pancetta and make soup:
• Cook pancetta in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until browned. Transfer pancetta with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Add olive oil to pancetta fat remaining in pot, then cook onion, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic and chopped sage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add squash, broth, and water and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender, transferring to a bowl. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Return soup to pot and reheat. If necessary, thin to desired consistency with water.
• Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve sprinkled with pancetta and fried sage leaves.