This creamy kabocha soup is made from the Japanese kabocha squash and doesn’t use any added milk or cream! It’s lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, making it perfect for fall and winter. Kabocha soup can be made in the slow cooker, stovetop, or in the Instant Pot!
This recipe is brought to you by my children’s obsession with the song, シンデレラのスープ (Cinderella’s Soup). They came home from their Japanese school singing this song nonstop – at breakfast, lunch, dinner, in the bath… all day long it was シンデレラのスープ. Here it is for those of you who would like to have this song stuck in your head all day like me:
Even if you don’t speak Japanese, you may be able to get that this song is about kabocha soup, made from Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage (lol). Anyway, my kids sang this song all week, begged me to make kabocha soup…. and then when I finally made it they said, “Oh… we like it with chunks of kabocha. Not creamy,” and then proceeded to eat their usual ham and cheese sandwich instead. Sigh. Kids.
BUT, I was still glad I made it, because… I LOVED IT! And so did my husband, who is a notorious soup skeptic. It was super creamy even without adding any milk, and the spices made the whole house smell like fall. I couldn’t NOT share this recipe with you, so here it is!
What is Kabocha and Where to Buy it?
Kabocha is a winter squash from Japan that’s similar to pumpkin. Like acorn squash, it’s got a dark green outer skin with bright orange flesh. It can be used in many Japanese recipes, including miso soup and tempura. Kabocha apparently also has lots of great vitamins and is super healthy for you.
You can find Kabocha at your local Japanese market. But I’ve seen kabocha at other standard grocery stores as well. We actually bought the kabocha for this recipe at Trader Joe’s for $3!
By the way, you’ll notice this recipe calls for a 4-5 lbs kabocha. That might seem really big, but after you scoop out the insides and peel the outer green skin, it really only leaves you with 2.5 lbs.
How do Japanese Eat Kabocha?
Kabocha is a super popular ingredient in fall dishes in Japan. You can eat it in tempura, in miso soup, simmered in stew, or in hotpot.
Make Kabocha Soup in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop
I give instructions in this recipe for making kabocha soup in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on stovetop! The instructions are basically the same. For Instant Pot and stovetop, you’ll melt the butter, cook the onions and spices, then add the kabocha and chicken broth. Either pressure cook on high for 10 minutes or simmer on the stovetop until the kabocha is soft enough to be easily blended into a creamy puree. For the slow cooker, just throw everything in and cook on low for eight hours; the kabocha should be soft enough to blend after that.
Special Tools or Ingredients Needed for Kabocha Soup
Besides a cooking vessel, the only tools you need for this recipe are a microwave and an immersion blender!
You need the microwave to soften the kabocha enough to easily slice it. I mean, technically.. you could slice and peel the kabocha without the microwave but it will be VERY HARD. Make life easier on yourself and microwave it.
The immersion blender is for pureeing the cooked soup so it’s nice and creamy. You could also do this by transferring the soup into a regular blender in batches, but just think of all the time and dishwashing you save by using the immersion blender. I stole mine from my brother (jk, I think I probably paid him for it?) a long time ago, but you can find similar ones on Amazon.
More Fall Asian Recipes
Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my other Hawaiian and Japanese recipes for fall!
Creamy Kabocha Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lbs kabocha 2.5 lbs peeled and cut
- 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tbsp
- 1 small onion
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Wash your whole kabocha and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover with another microwave safe dish or with a plastic covering safe to use in the microwave.
- Microwave your kabocha for 7-10 minutes, flipping the kabocha halfway through, or until the rind is soft enough to cut through with a kitchen knife. A 4 lb kabocha takes about 7 minutes to get soft; a 5 lb kabocha takes about 10 minutes.
- When kabocha is cooled enough to handle, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Then continue to slice kabocha into smaller pieces and cut off the outer green skin, preserving as much of the inner orange kabocha as possible. Set aside.
- Melt butter on the sauté setting in the Instant Pot (or other device, if using). Add in chopped onions and cook until softened.
- Add in nutmeg and cinnamon and stir for a few seconds as the spices become fragrant.
- Add salt, prepared kabocha, and chicken broth.
- For Instant Pot: close lid, set to seal, and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. If cooking on stovetop, bring to a simmer and cook until kabocha becomes very soft (about 20 minutes). If using a slow cooker in the morning, put all ingredients in and cook on low for eight hours.
- Quick release the Instant Pot (or turn off heat if cooking on stovetop). Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt if desired. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.