Creamy Vegan Kabocha Squash Soup with Fall Herbs

This rich, cozy soup brings together sweet Kabocha squash with iconic fall herbs. It's comforting, hearty, and perfect for a chilly winter day. Load it up with all your favorite toppings!

Ingredients

  • Two kabocha squashes
  • Oil of choice for roasting
  • Two medium sweet onions
  • 4-6 c vegetable broth
  • Generous salt and black pepper
  • Couple sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Couple sprigs of fresh sage
  • 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Garnishes/toppings of choice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425.
  2. Cut each kabocha squash around its equator and scoop out the seeds.
  3. Roast the squash halves cut-side down on an oiled sheet tray (or two) for 30-45 minutes until very soft. Keep an eye on them, since they can vary greatly in size, which will determine how long they take to roast.
  4. When the squash is finished, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at least partially for easier handling. This could be done the day before too.
  5. While the squash is roasting, dice the onions. Cook them in a large soup pot until just barely caramelized, with liberal salt and pepper. Note that deeper caramelization will yield more flavor, but will also make your soup slightly darker in color.
  6. When the onions are done, add ~4-5 c of veggie broth and start bringing it to a boil. Add additional salt and pepper.
  7. Scoop out the inside flesh of the squash and add it to the soup pot. Note that you can eat the skin of a kabocha, and it's actually delicious, so please save it! My suggestion is to treat them like potato skins and load them with all your favorite toppings.
  8. Dice up a palmful of rosemary leaves and a palmful of sage leaves very finely and add them to the pot.
  9. Once everything has come to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  10. Next, turn the heat off the pot and blend it all with an immersion blender until a very thick, creamy soup develops. A standard blender is fine here too, but you'll need to work in batches.
  11. After blending, strip the leaves off the thyme and add them. (I like to save them for the end since their flavor is more delicate).
  12. Assess the consistency of your soup. If you want it to be a little looser, add more liquid until you get to your desired texture.
  13. Taste your soup and adjust as you see fit. Maybe some additional salt and pepper? Additional herbs? If you think it needs more zing, try a little dash of cider vinegar.
  14. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes after blending.
  15. Serve in big, steaming bowls and garnish as you see fit!
RECIPE from The Rogue Brussel Sprout Blog
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