Description
This Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup is a creamy blend of roasted squash and lentils infused with the umami flavors of gochujang and miso. Easy to make and packed with protein to keep you satisfied and cozy during the winter months.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tbsp gluten-free gochujang (use less if sensitive to spice)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 lb kabocha squash
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 tbsp avocado oil plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp yellow or white miso paste
- Zest and juice of one lime
- 1, 15 oz can of full fat coconut milk or 1 1/2 cups full fat oat milk
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and place a sauce pan on the stove top over medium low heat. Add 2 teaspoons of avocado oil to the pan. Once the oil is warm, add the gochujang and sauté for about 2 minutes then add the ginger and sauté again for 1 minute.
- Add the red lentils, five spice and vegetable broth and give everything a good mix to combine. Bring the lentils to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes without a lid.
- While the lentils cook, cut your squash in half with a sharp knife, remove the seeds and then cut it into large chunks, leaving the skin on. Next, cut the top of the head of garlic off to expose some of the garlic cloves. Place the squash, garlic and onions in a parchment lined baking tray then pour the oil generously over the squash and exposed garlic cloves. With your hands, make sure the squash is well coated in the oil, then cover the tray tightly with foil and place in the oven to roast for 35 minutes or until the squash is cooked through.
- Allow the squash to cool for 5-10 minutes or until safe to handle. Peel or cut the skin off of the squash then add the squash and onion to a high speed blender and squeeze out the roasted garlic from the bulb into the blender cup. Pour in the lentils, maple syrup, miso paste, lime zest and juice and milk of choice. (Note: If you have a smaller blender, you may need to blend this in batches. Alternatively, you can add all the ingredients to your soup pot and use an immersion blender to blend everything until smooth).
- Blend the soup on high until the soup is smooth then serve with any additional toppings as desired.
Notes
Be generous with the oil. Kabocha squash is a drier squash compared to some of the other winter squashes. Using enough oil will help to prevent your squash from drying out too much in the oven.
Cover your baking tray. This will help trap more of the moisture in when baking, which will help prevent the squash from drying out too much and becoming hard.
If sensitive to saturated fat, swap the coconut milk for oat milk. Just make sure you go for a plain flavor.
Adjust the spice to your preference. For a milder spice to the soup, just use 1 tablespoon of gochujang. If you like it spicier, use 2 tablespoons. Feel free to leave the gochujang out if desired as well.
Adjust the consistency of the soup with extra water or vegetable broth as needed. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water and blend again to get your desired consistency.
