It's SOUPer Saturday!

Just before Christmas I developed an obsession for soup. Thick, rich, hearty, spicy, gut-warming soups. So I took it on a journey through Roasted Butternut Squash, cans of Pumpkin Puree, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, onions, curry, cayenne, coriander, cumin...mmmmmmmm. Well today, I'm back on track with a little Kabocha action. And we had a souper breakfast!
As you probably know, Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash. Slightly sweet and rich in nutrients, typically weighing in at the 2-3lb mark. I found it in my local supermarket. If you have no luck there, try an Asian market or Farmer's market.

Roasted Kabocha Soup
Ingredients

• Medium Kabocha
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 large onion sliced into thin rings
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can coconut milk
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
•  Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
  

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut open Kabocha and scoop out the guts, rub cut surface with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and place cut side down on greased cookie sheet. Bake in oven 45 min, or until flesh is easily pierced with knife. Allow to cool then scoop flesh away from skin. Discard skin.
3. While Kabocha bakes, caramelize onions in 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Once browned, add all spices (curry, corriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper) and sauté 30 seconds to open up the flavors.
4. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk and pumpkin to pot with onions and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and allow to simmer 10 minutes.
5. In batches, transfer to food processor and puree. Return to pot to keep warm.
6. Serve garnished with Sriracha sauce. (you may want to let individuals monitor their own as it's pretty hot stuff!)

Notes: Greg, of course, believes bacon makes everything better. I have to agree. Next time I may play around with adding bacon to this recipe.