Kuri Squash Soup
There’s a grocery store about 20 minutes from where I live. Although there are several markets within 3 miles, and one within walking distance, I venture out to the coast where there are some stores that carry unique items and a huge variety of veg. Every few weeks I challenge myself to grab something I’m not super familiar with to play with in the kitchen. I have used kuri squash a few times before, but thought it was about time to give this bright orange globe another go. Its tough knobby skin hides a beautiful vibrant flesh that roasts up nicely and blends to a velvety smooth texture, just perfect for soup on those cold, blustery days.
The shelf life of winter squash is very long and they will last for quite a while at room temperature. If you have cut pieces from a prior recipe, store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
Winter squash are deliciously comforting and are perfect for creamy winter soups. Start with a flavorful base of sautéed onions, garlic, and herbs, and then toss in roasted winter squash and thin it out with veg stock. I like the vibrant color and the not overly-sweet taste of kuri squash, buy you can also use kabocha or butternut, or a mixture of two or more.
Because winter squash can be a little sweet, if find it nice to add a flavorful topping, like this Basil and Garlic "Pestochurri”, a cross between classic pesto and chimichurri. Add it cold to your hot soup so you, not only get a variation in flavor, but also temperature. The vinegary twang cuts through the sweet creaminess of the soup and makes for the perfect pairing.
Kuri Squash Soup
Yield: 2 ½ quarts
1 3-pound kuri squash
2 tsp grapeseed oil
½ large yellow onion
2-4 Tbsp water
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
1 dry bay leaf
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp kosher salt
4 cups veg stock
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Carefully cut kuri squash in half and scoop out all the seeds. On a silicon/parchment-lined sheet tray, place the two squash halves, cut-side down. Roast for approximately 1 ½ hours, until the squash is soft to the touch.
3. Cut your onion into a large dice and add to a pre-heated stockpot with 2 tsp grapeseed oil. Cook until soft. You can add a tablespoon or so of water if it gets too dry.
4. Roughly chop your garlic and add to the pot with the thyme, chili flakes, bay leaf, tomato paste, and sherry vinegar. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
5. Once the kuri squash is done roasting, scoop out the soft “meat” and add to the pot. Discard the skin with the salt and pepper.
6. Add veg stock and cook for about 10 minutes to meld all the flavors together. If your kuri squash isn’t fully soft, cook until it is.
7. Once everything is fully cooked, remove the bay leaf and transfer the soup to a high-speed blender and blend until ultra-smooth. Don’t fill your blender up more than half-full and do it in batches. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, use your regular one, just blend longer to get the preferred consistency.
8. If your soup is too thick, you can add a little hot water or hot veg stock to thin it out. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
