I have been on a Korean food adventure all year! Ever since I visited a Korean restaurant that piqued my interest in the cuisine, I have tried all sorts of recipes, both traditional and new. Earlier this year I made spicy shrimp and winter squash canapés on sesame crackers that were inspired by my Korean culinary adventure. This soup is another new recipe that was inspired by a traditional soup I recently cooked called hobakjuk. The classic soup recipe is made with kabocha, which is a beautiful squash. If you haven’t tried it before, it is a bit starchier than butternut squash or pumpkin and wonderfully sweet. The traditional soup is sweetened further with a little sugar, and it is garnished with delightful little rice balls. I wanted to add a spicy kick to the soup, and I didn’t want to add extra sugar or rice flour, so I put together this super simple recipe for autumn. I hope you enjoy!

Korean-Inspired Spicy Kabocha Squash Soup

1 small kabocha squash, cut into quarters, seeds and stringy bits removed

Water for thinning the soup (I ended up using about 2 cups for a fairly thick soup)

Fine sea salt, to taste

About 1-inch fresh ginger, grated

Gochujang, to taste (I used 2 tablespoons for a good amount of spice)

Sesame seeds for garnish

In a steamer over high heat, steam squash until very tender when poked with a fork. Remove the squash from the heat. When it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and cut the flesh into rough chunks.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the squash until smooth. Add the water incrementally until the soup is your desired thickness.

Add the salt, ginger, and gochujang. Process again until everything is well incorporated.

Pour the soup into a medium pot. Heat over medium heat until warmed through.

Garnish with sesame seeds. I chose black to contrast the orange of the soup since we are nearing Halloween!

There’s nothing more comforting than a thick pumpkin soup on an autumn day. This soup can be a sophisticated first course if you serve it with a dollop of crème fraiche, balsamic vinegar, and some chives on top. Or you can play with your food and make it a whimsical Halloween dish! I think this season, more than any other time of the year, is the time to have fun in the kitchen. 🙂 I dressed up my roasted pumpkin soup for Halloween with a sour cream spider web and a witch’s broom made of a pretzel, a thin slice of Swiss cheese, and a chive.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

1 medium sugar pie pumpkin, cut in half and seeded

1 medium onion, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces

3 carrots, peeled, and cut into approximately 1-inch pieces

3 whole garlic cloves, skin removed

Approximately 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or more for a thinner soup)

Pinch of cayenne

Sour cream, thinned with a little water

Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss all of the vegetables in olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them.

Roast until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize, tossing halfway through, approximately 45 minutes.

Remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin and discard the skin. Add all of the roasted vegetables to a soup pot. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.

In a blender, purée the soup in two batches. Strain. Return to the pot to simmer. If you would like a thinner soup, add more stock at this point.

Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne.

For the spider web garnish, scoop sour cream mixed with a little water into a piping bag fitted with a small piping tip. Pipe a swirl on top of each bowl of soup. With a wooden skewer, drag lines from the center to the outside of the bowl to make the web shape. Add a few roasted pumpkin seeds on top as the finishing touch.