Roasted Kabocha Soup

Roasted Kabocha Soup
Taryn R.

INGREDIENTS:
. Kabocha Squask (Japanese "pumpkin"-can be found at Uwajimaya) (qty depends on how much you want-1 would be 6-8 servings roughly)
. Coconut Milk (qty depends on how much you want-1 can would work with the 6-8 serving option) (DISCLAIMER: try half of the can first and adjust as needed by taste)
. Chicken Bouillon (1 bouillon cube mixed in 2 cups water-will work for 6-8 serving option) (DISCLAIMER: try half of the 2 cups of chicken stock first and adjust as needed by taste)
. Onion (half a onion works, but if you prefer the taste being more strong, go with a whole onion)
. Olive Oil (1 1/2 TBL spoon-increase of olive oil will depend on how onion you want to caramelize)

"HOW TO" (very loosely used):

1st Cut Kabocha in half and brush outside with olive oil and prick the skin with a fork (just like baked potatoes). You can try to scoop out seeds and stringy insides, but from my experience it's easier to get that gunk out after it's finished baking. Then place face down in 1/2" of water in a cookie sheet (or some sort of cooking pan). Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

2nd While Kabocha is baking, caramelize onions to your liking

3rd Mix scooped out Kabocha flesh, onions, coconut milk and chicken stock. Now this is where the experimenting goes into effect. I have a Cuisinart dual food processor/blender, but I found I had to use the food processor on the Kabocha first until it was more malleable, then dumped all of it in a bowl and mixed it in the blender at smaller portion at a time with the onions and liquids. It blended easier, more efficiently and then I could get the taste exactly how I wanted it. It will make quite a bit, so

4th Take finished liquid product and place in a crock pot (if you want to let it warm up slowly) or a large stock pot to heat up to your preference.

Voila! Roasted Kabocha Soup for your family's meal (and then some). I've never frozen this, so I'm not sure if it would reheat well after being frozen, but I have kept it in the fridge for a few days after making it to enjoy later.
DISCLAIMER: Taste testing will ensure that it comes out to perfection, so as much as following a recipe is good to do, this one is basically a science experiment. So far the three times I've made it (it makes so much at a time) have tasted delicious, but I'm definitely putting it out there that it's not a quick "throw it together and voila you're done" kinda meal.