I make approximately one squash soup recipe a month between September and March every year, and every year I have to create a few new ones for variety. This vegan squash recipe is different because it is deliciously smokey thanks to the secret ingredient: hot paprika.
Other great options include curried, with potatoes and chives, red lentil and coconut, and coconut curry.
Smoky Kabocha Squash Soup
(serves 4)
Turn on your oven to 350F. Wash the squash and cut it in half. Wrap each half in tin foil, place on a baking sheet and bake for an hour. (*)You can also use leftover cooked squash, if you want to substitute use approximately 4 cups.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you start the rest of the soup. Heat a large saucepan to medium low heat. Add the olive oil and the onion. Sweat until soft. Add the minced garlic, paprika and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Remove the seeds and stringy middle of the squash and discard. Remove the flesh from the squash and discard the rind. Stir the squash into the onions. Add 4 cups of water and the fresh sage. Drain the can of chickpeas and give it a good rinse, add half of the chickpeas to the soup. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the sage and discard. Transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until very smooth. Place back in the saucepan along with the remaining chickpeas. Bring to a simmer. Check for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Serve hot garnished with olive oil.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Squash and chickpeas..mmmmm… You are a girl after my own heart Katerina
Think I’ll try this one next.. Looove chickpeas…
Smoked paprika is one of my secret ingredients! I love using that stuff because it has such a unique flavor. I have never used a kabocha squash, but I’ve been seeing them in the store lately.
Gee! How’d you know I had a bumper crop of squash this year. My basement is full of Butternut which I assume will substitute nicely for the kabocha. Will ley y’all know the results.
I promised to report back with results. I went crazy making soups for the freezer to eat over the winter using stuff from the garden: butternut squash, leeks, broccoli, and eggplant. If one counts the gumbo, I ended up with eight different soups, including the one above. Results were uniformly excellent, and winter squash is a wonderful “base” on which to build the additional flavors (e.g. smoked paprika & chickpeas as mentioned above). Squash soup has clearly been a winter winner here.
Well, having a ton of your own squash wouldn’t hurt would it??
Loretta – it is becoming one of mine too.
Gem – I wish I was so lucky.