This roasted Kabocha squash soup is the creamiest, most delicious soup you’ll ever try. I promise! In my family, we’ve been making this soup with a type of “zucca mantovana” called Delica (the Italian equivalent of Kabocha) ever since I was little, and can’t think of anything more appropriate than this soup for a cozy Fall night.
“Zucca mantovana”, which in English would read like “Mantua Pumpkin” is a round variety with a flattened top and bottom, a dark green / greyish color, and a sweet and compact bright orange pulp, that grows in the area around Mantova and is often considered to be the best among edible pumpkins.
In Italy, this type of squash is the undisputed star of local gastronomy, and the main ingredient of dishes like: “Tortelli di Zucca” (pumpkin ravioli), “Risotto di Zucca” (pumpkin risotto), and “Gnocchi di Zucca” (pumpkin gnocchi).
I was born only a few miles away from the city of Mantova (Mantua), in Northern Italy, so you can easily understand how the tradition of cooking with “Mantua pumpkin” is embedded in my genes.
Now, you might be wondering why I am mentioning pumpkin based dishes when I am talking about a squash… Well, in Italian the word “zucca” means both “squash” and “pumpkin”, and to be honest with you, the orange skinned pumpkin, in Italy is only used as a decoration, not as an actual food.
It’s interesting to know that, even in English, a pumpkin is a type of squash, and both squash and pumpkin belong to the same family (the Cucurbitaceae). And that’s exactly what the Italian word “zucca” refers to: all the fruits of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Why Kabocha Squash and Some Replacement Options:
While it is pretty hard to find “zucca mantovana” outside of Italy, after trying many (disappointing) types of squash during my years abroad, I have determined that
While it is pretty hard to find “zucca mantovana” outside of Italy, after trying many (disappointing) types of squash during my years abroad, I have determined that the most similar varieties are Kabocha and Buttercup squash, with Butternut being my third favorite for a replacement.
What I love about this roasted Kabocha squash soup is that super easy to make, naturally gluten free, and in my version is also vegan, free from dairy and suitable for those who are on the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).
If you want a tip to enhance even more the flavor of this fabulous roasted Kabocha squash soup, add in bits of boiled chestnuts after you blended up the soup. Chestnut is a flavor that goes really well with this type of squash and something we’ve been doing in my family for years as we love the texture and overall result!
Want more Healthy Soup Recipes?
If you are looking for more delicious and healthy soup recipes, check out these other recipes I published:
- “Caldo Verde”- Portuguese Sweet Potato Soup (GF, DF, AIP)
- Carrot Ginger Soup (GF, DF, Vegan, AIP)
- “Dhal” – Healthy Lentil Soup (GF, DF, Vegan)
- “Tom Kha Gai” – Thai Chicken Soup (GF, DF, AIP)
But for now, let’s stick to this roasted Kabocha squash soup and actually make it! It’s the perfect time of the year to enjoy this and I know it will become one of your favorites!
Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup
Equipment
- High Speed Blender or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 5 leaves Sage
- 1/2 Yellow Onion
- 28.2 oz Kabocha Squash replaceable with Butternut or Buttercup squash
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg or Mace if AIP
- 1 tsp dried Italian Herbs
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan Salt
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup full fat Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast optional
- 2 tbsp Raw Pistachios to garnish
Instructions
- Peel and dice the kabocha squash in 1.2" thick cubes.
- On a cutting board, finely chop the fresh rosemary and sage, and thinly slice the onion.
- At this point you can either bake your squash in the oven or roast it in a large pan.
- If you decide to bake it, preheat the oven to 350F (180C), place the diced squash in a bowl, together with the onion. Add in all the seasonings (olive oil, herbs, nutmeg and salt), and mix with your hands to make sure all cubes are evenly coated.
- Transfer the squash over a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft.
- If you want to cook the squash in a pan instead, heat up the extra virgin olive oil, add in the chopped herbs and sliced onion, let stir fry for a minute until the onion is translucent and and then add in the diced Kabocha.
- Add in dry herbs, salt and nutmeg and mix them in with a wooden spoon. Cover with a lid and cook and medium for about 20 minutes, adding a bit of water in pan of needed to prevent to squash from sticking to the pan.
- Once your Kabocha squash is roasted, transfer it in a high speed blender together with the water, coconut milk and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth and creamy to perfection.
- Depending on your preference, you can add more liquid if you like your soup a bit less thick.
- Garnish with pistachio crumbs and fresh rosemary
Nutrition
I am sure you’ll love my recipe for roasted Kabocha squash soup and I can’t wait to see your recreations!!
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Lots of love and ciao!
Ambra
2 Comments
In America we see a lot of butternut squash soup, but when I moved to the Southwestern US, I discovered the Kabocha! It is delicious, and probably my favorite squash too! I like that it is sweet and starchy rather than watery. I love it roasted. I’ve also made an AIP “chili” with cubed kabocha and ground beef that was really good, but I’ve never made a soup like this with it so I can’t wait to try! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy you like my favorite squash too Heather!! You chili sounds awesome! And I can’t wait for you to try and enjoy my soup!
Ambra
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