Chipotle Spiced Kabocha Squash Soup

Squash season is here!  Roomie and I were talking a few nights ago about how winter squash can be intimidating sometimes .  And, kind of a pain in the butt.  Who hasn't tried to peel a butternut squash and chop it into pieces?  Or to thwack an acorn squash in half?  It ain't always easy!  Even with a good knife and some pent up aggression, getting those suckers cracked open is no piece of cake (or pie...pumpkin pie...).  But, squash soup, squash risotto, stuffed squash, roasted squash...So delicious.

I don't really know much about kabocha squash, other than I think it's the kind they use in pumpkin curries.  It's Japanese in origin, and according to the Whole Foods sign hanging on the bin, kabocha is sweeter and less stringy than an acorn squash (which the kabocha resembles). So, what the heck, why not try something new, eh? There were two varieties at the market - red and green - so I picked up one of each for kicks. I was teetering between Asian and Mexican flavors for the soup, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to use some of the dried peppers I picked up in Oaxaca earlier this year. Mexican it was!  I was also hoping to use the kabocha seeds themselves as a garnish, but roasting them ended up kind of failing - they're too big and chewy.  Pepitas, though, would be a nice touch for a little extra texture to the soup.

Out of sheer laziness, I decided to roast the squash.  I could have peeled 'em and chopped 'em up and let it all cook in the stock, thus saving some the time you'd have to wait for the squash to roast.  But I decided I'd rather wait a half-hour to roast the squash (during which I could cook a second dish or watch some tv) instead of getting frustrated with having to break down those little pumpkin suckers.  And probably chopping a finger off.  Once the squash was soft from the oven, all I had to do was scoop out the meat.  Easy stuff. The squash straight out of the oven, by the way, was deliciously sweet and smooth.  Kabocha was definitely the right choice.

Cooking this soup reminded me of how much I love my immersion blender.  I'm a clumsy cook (really, I'm just a clumsy person) - I spill and I slip and I drop pans and all that jazz.  Roomie, who was eating in the other room while I made this recipe, asked me at least three times if I needed any help (after dropping a few things and burning my hand.  Sweet.)  Anyway, when I used to have to puree soups in a standing blender, I would inevitably end up spilling the stock and putting in too much and making a crazy mess.  Even now, if I do use my standing blender, I just spoon out the solid stuff (potatoes or squash usually), puree them alone, and add them back to the stock.  But, with an immersion blender, I don't need to deal with any of that.  Plug in the blender, whirl it around the pot where my food is already cooking, and viola, puree! If you like pureed soups (or tomato sauces, or smoothies) without the hassle of a standing blender, it's definitely worth the investment.  Or do like I did, and ask for one for Christmas.

Thoughts after leftovers for lunch: This soup needs a bit of acidity, but I'm not quite sure how to achieve it.  A squeeze of lemon juice might suffice, but it also might overwhelm the squash and chipotle flavors.  Maybe some zest?  A chimichurri sauce?  Or at least a knock off of chimichurri, probably closer to a cilantro pistou. Good plan...

Chipotle-Spiced Squash Soup

2 Kabocha squash (I used one red and one green, about 5 pounds in total)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs. cumin
2 tsp. chile powder
4 cups stock (one box's worth)
3-4 dried chipotles (I'm sure canned chipotles will do, as well)


1 bunch cilantro
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. lemon juice
3-4 large cloves garlic


Ricotta/plain yogurt/crema
Pepitas

1) Preheat oven to 375-degrees.  Quarter the squash and scoop out the seeds.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and roast until squash is soft enough to scoop out, about 30 minutes.

2) Remove squash from oven. Using a towel to protect your hands and a large spoon, scoop out the meat of the squash into a large prep bowl. It doesn't have to look pretty - it'll keep cooking and get pureed later.

3) In a large stock pan, saute the onion, garlic and a hefty pinch of salt in olive oil over medium heat until soft and slightly translucent (about five minutes).  Add the cumin and chili powder and stir to coat the onion and garlic.  Cook a couple of minutes, until you can smell the cumin and chili throughout your kitchen.

4) Add squash, stock, and chipotle peppers and stir until well mixed.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Taste about 10 minutes in to see if more salt or spice is needed. (Cumin and chili will add some earthy smokiness. Smell 'em to see which one you like more - I like cumin.  Throw in another chipotle pepper or some red pepper flakes if you want more heat.)

5) While the soup is simmering, in a food processor blend together the cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, remaining garlic, and a pinch of salt.  Blend until its about the consistency of a pesto. Add more olive oil as necessary.

6) Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  

7) Ladle soup into a bowl and add a dollop of ricotta/yogurt/sour cream/etc (whatever you have on hand) and a spoonful of the cilantro pesto and garnish with some pepitas.  Serve hot!

Serves 6-8.