Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup

Friends that know me won’t be surprised that my first recipe of the New Year is a homemade soup… this time it’s Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup… On these cool, wet, and dreary days we can have during the Winter on the West Coast, I often eat soup at noon and for snacks and at dinner. 

I love the comfort and warmth that spooning into a thick and tasty homemade soup brings.  This one fills that need quite nicely.  It’s simple and you likely have the ingredients on hand. It is vegan, but if you want, you could make it paleo by using a bit of turkey or beef broth in place of the water.

I am sure that a butternut squash or an ambercup squash would sub quite nicely for the kabocha that I used. They are about the same texture.  Even a sweet potato would work, but of course that raises the calorie count and therefore the Weight Watchers P+ values considerably. You decide.  The squash I used yielded almost 3 cups of cooked flesh.

You could prepare the squash a  day or so ahead of making the soup and keep it in the fridge if you like.  Then just put it all together in about an hour when you want to make soup.  Mmmmmm.  I know you are gonna love this as much as I do.

Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup
Makes 6 one-cup servings.

• 1 medium size kabocha squash
• 1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (946 ml)
• 1 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 Tbs curry powder
• 1 cup sliced white onion
• coconut oil or spray to coat soup pot
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash the kabocha squash. Then cut in in half horizontally and remove the seeds. Bake it in the oven, cut sides up for 45 minutes at 350°F.  Allow to cool about half an hour and then remove the peel and cut the flesh into large chunks.
2. Coat the inside of your soup pot with coconut oil, about 1 tsp, or use a spray.
3. Place the onions and garlic into the soup pot over MEDIUM heat and cook about 10 minutes till translucent. Do not allow them to brown.
4. Add the squash chunks and contents from the can of tomatoes along with 1 cup of water and up to 2 Tbs of curry powder and stir altogther.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes. Blend in batches or with your immersion blender.  It will be very thick.
7. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Per serving without garnish.
Weight Watchers P+ = 0. *
Calories ; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 1g; Fibre 3g.

* The only item that actually needs to be counted here is the coconut oil and 1 tsp divided amongst 6 servings is negligible.  The vegetables are zero P+.

Printable Recipe

Curried Kabocha, Carrot, and Cauliflower Soup

My latest Fall soup is thick and delicious!  I was going to use a butternut squash in this recipe, but when I cut the squash open, it was brown inside and I threw it out immediately… so The Captain spent a few uncomfortable minutes peeling the shell from a kabocha squash so I could use it instead.  The result… Curried Kabocha, Carrot, and Cauliflower Soup.  Lovely.

Normally if I were going to use kabocha squash in soup, I would bake it first so that it can be easily scooped from its shell.  But there was no time to do that and it all turned out very nicely… but it is a difficult beast to peel raw so if you have time, do cook yours first. 

There is just a hint of curry in this soup. I think it is just right, but if you like more, by all means… go ahead and add it.  I also like to add a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt when I serve it… makes it creamy and just Heavenly.

You can use any kind of broth you prefer... I used my homemade turkey broth, but you could also use chicken stock or a vegetable broth if you want a vegan or vegetarian version.  I don't think it would change the taste much at all.

Curried Kabocha, Carrot, and Cauliflower Soup
Makes 8 one-cup servings

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 cup white onion, cut into large dice
• 3 cups stock of choice
• 1 cup water
• 5 cups kabocha squash, peel removed and cut into chunks
• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1” lengths
• 1 cup cauliflower, cut into chunks
• 2 Tbs curry powder, more or less to taste
• Salt and pepper to season 

1. Melt coconut oil in large stockpot over MEDIUM heat. 
2. Add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, till translucent, taking care not to brown.
3. Add the squash, carrots, and cauliflower and cook about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the curry powder and stir to coat veggies.
5. Add the stock and the water.
6. Cover the pot with a lid, bring to boil, then reduce heat to SIMMER and cook for 45 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and cool several minutes.
8. Blend/purree till smooth.
9. Serve hot with salt and pepper to season.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 61;  Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 2g; Fibre 3g.

If you are following the Weight Watchers Simply Filling Techniquer or Simple Start, there is nothing to count… the coconut oil would only be 1/4 tsp per serving, therefore negligible.

Bring veggies and stock to the boiling poing, then cover, and let simmer for about 45 minutes.

Purre in stockpot with immersion blender for minimal cleanup.

To serve, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Greek yogurt if you like.

Stir it in for maximum creaminess!

You can freeze the leftovers or store in the fridge if you will use them in a few days… just as tasty after reheating on the stove top!

Printable Recipe

5 Fabulous Fall Soups

There is a lovely aroma in our apartment right now… a new Fall soup on the stove… this one with kabocha squash, carrots, and cauliflower… and onions and garlic, of course! I love to make soup when the days become a bit shorter, and a bit cooler, and the local farmers are flooding our produce markets with sweet potatoes, root veggies,  and all kinds of squash.  Mmmmm.

I have a usual method that I use to make vegetable soups… and the variations are endless depending upon the veggies and spices and broth you select. You can make them gluten-free, paleo vegetarian, and even vegan if you choose the right ingredients.  They are are all delcious.

You really can’t go wrong.

I will share this new soup later, but today I want to share some other favorite Fall soups from the last couple of years.

In no particular order… just click the picture to find the recipe.

Of course there are lots more on my blog and you can find them under my Soups, Salads and Dressings  tab… If you give any of my soups a try or Pin them, I would  love to know!

And if you are looking for some other ideas for homemade soups, check out these articles too:

• How to Roast Red Bell Peppers
• How to Make Homemade Turkey (or Chicken) Broth
• How to Make Your Own Vegetable Broth

Do you like to make Fall soups, too?  What’s your favorite?