This hearty and rich Filipino kabocha soup is the perfect addition to your Fall dinner table. With hints of umami from the shrimp paste, and creaminess from the coconut milk, this will for-sure be a comforting bowl to beat the cold weather!

Ever come across a kabocha in your local supermarket? If you’re already familiar with this gorgeous Japanese pumpkin, then you’ll know just how delicious and amazing these are: perfect for the Fall season!

If you’re just hearing about it for the first time, or you’ve haven’t had the chance to grab one for yourself, then this is your sign to do so!

Kabocha is one of the many varieties of winter squash, it has deep green skin, with the insides being a vibrant sunset yellow. They’re also naturally sweet, kind of like a cross between a sweet potato and a pumpkin.

Every fall season, my family would always grab a couple kabocha squash to bring home during our typical grocery runs. They have an incredibly deep flavor that’s intensified when roasted, and pairs deliciously with most herbs, spices, and aromatics!

While one of my favorite ways to prepare kabocha is by simply roasting them in the oven, we’re going to take it one step further and blending it into a creamy and rich kabocha soup. It goes perfectly with a side of toasted bread to complete your holiday dinner table, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

A Southeast Asian twist

Today we’re going to make a classic roasted kabocha soup, but putting our own little Southeast Asian flair to it.

I was mainly inspired to make this recipe by a traditional Filipino dish called “ginataang kalabasa“, which is essentially a vegetable stew made up of kabocha, long beans, and shrimp, all simmered in a rich coconut milk sauce.

It has the typical Southeast Asian aromatics: onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro. And, of course, to give it those classic savory and umami notes, we’ll also be using bagoong, or Filipino shrimp paste as our “secret” ingredient.

The soup is thick, smooth, rich, and creamy. The ultimate hug in a bowl.

Ingredients for the kabocha soup

Kabocha (aka. Japanese squash): this is the star of our soup! We’ll be using 1 whole kabocha squash for this recipe.
Coconut milk: go for the ones that are canned, preferably the “Aroy-D” brand. They’re are my go-to for almost all my coconut dish recipes since they’re incredibly rich in that coconut flavor and texture.
Onion, garlic, ginger: the holy grail of Asian cooking. These will provide those subtle aromatic flavors when blended into the soup.
Filipino shrimp paste (aka. bagoong): this is our “secret” ingredient that provides much of our soup with that signature umami and savory flavors. Take note, for this recipe, we’ll be using the ginisang bagoong kind; which is shrimp paste that’s already been sautéd, causing it to have a dark brown color. The latter kind is alamang bagoong, which is also a shrimp paste, but not sautéd, leading to a more pale/pink color. The alamang bagoong tends to be saltier and pungent, which works great in other Filipino dishes, but not so much for this recipe.
Lime juice: the acidity of the lime helps to brighten up the flavors of the soup! Add more or less of this to your preference.
Salt and pepper: we’ll be adding these last so that you can season the soup according to your taste.
Olive oil and butter: these two fats will add a slight richness and become the backbone to roasting the kabocha and sautéing the aromatics.

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400 F. Scoop out the seeds, then cut the kabocha into medium-sized chunks. Toss the chunks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Once tender, let cool slightly. Gently peel off the green skin and discard, leaving the roasted kabocha flesh. Set aside.

In a sauce pot, melt the butter. Sauté the onions until tender and translucent over medium heat. Add in the garlic and ginger, and continue to sauté for one minute until fragrant. Finally stir in in the shrimp paste, and sauté for an additional one minute.

Pour in the coconut milk and water, and add in the roasted kabocha chunks. Bring this to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes with a lid, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.

At this point, you can either blend the soup using an immersion blender or a stand blender. If using a stand blender, start by blending at the lowest setting (or even try “pulsing” it a couple times) to break up the larger chunks of kabocha (so that we minimize accidents!). Slowly increase the speed until the soup becomes smooth and creamy.

Taste the soup. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve with a side of toasted bread. Enjoy!

How to serve Kabocha soup

To complete the dish, I like to add in a small handful of cilantro leaves on top with some freshly-cracked black pepper, as well as a drizzle of coconut milk. It’s mainly for presentation’s sake (since we do eat with our eyes first, after all), but it also adds extra richness and a slight freshness from the cilantro.

Craving for more delicious Asian meals? Here are some recipes that you might love:

Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Soy Marinated Filipino Ribs
Chili Oil Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice)