Kabocha Soup
Local independent chef Mia Yoshida strongly believes in organic products and making meals fresh from scratch. She said to give this hearty soup a unique touch by topping it with black pumpkin seed oil. Not only is it immensely delicious, but she said it also has countless health benefits! For more recipes, follow @mia_yoshida on Instagram.
Ingredients:
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Approximately 2 pounds Kabocha pumpkin
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1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly diced
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4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly diced
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3 tbsp olive oil
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¼ cup Noilly Prat or dry white wine
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3-4 cups unsalted vegetable stock (homemade is preferred)
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Bay leaves
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1.5 tbsp honey
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1 tbsp kosher salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
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½ cup crème fraiche or coconut cream
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Freshly toasted raw green pumpkin seeds
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Chives, finely sliced
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2 slices of your favorite sourdough bread (or any other bread), diced into ½-inch cubes
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2 tbsp of butter (or olive oil)
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Maldon salt (or any other flaky sea salt)
Instructions:
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Cut the Kabocha in half and remove all its seeds with a spoon. Use a peeler to remove the outer skin and roughly dice into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
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Prepare your toppings by toasting the pumpkin seeds in a non-stick frying pan for a couple of minutes until they are very lightly browned and set aside. In the same pan, melt the butter and fry the bread cubes until browned and crunchy, seasoning with a pinch of Maldon salt. Finely chop the chives and let your pumpkin oil come to room temperature if stored in the refrigerator.
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Heat the olive oil in a stainless pot on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic cloves and gently fry for a few minutes until it barely catches color. Deglaze with the Noilly Prat, and add the pumpkin followed by the stock (start with 3 cups). Add salt, pepper, bay leaves and the honey. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Remove the bay leaves and add the crème fraiche before you puree the soup with a hand blender. Add some more stock if the consistency is too thick. Adjust your spices to taste.
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Garnish with toppings and serve hot immediately. Pause, and enjoy. Also, find someone else to do the dishes!