Halloween Kabocha Soup and Kale Salad
• Recipes appear exactly as presented to the Cook of the Week Challenge judges.
(serves 4)
Kabocha Soup
• 4 2-pound Kabocha squashes to be used as
bowls (optional)
• 1 4-pound Kabocha squash
• 1 large or two small shallots chopped
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 3"-piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk from 14 oz.
can (reserve remainder of can for decorative
condiment, optional)
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 3 T. coconut or olive oil (2 T. for sautéing
soup ingredients and 1 T. for sautéing hulled
Kabocha seeds)
• 1 t. salt plus additional for Kabocha seeds
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup reserved Kabocha seeds (hulled)
• 1 t. curry powder
Kale Salad
• 1 bunch fresh kale (approx. 1 pound)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan
Croutons for Salad
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 smashed garlic cloves with skin on
• 4 slices wheat bread torn into rough 1″ pieces
Warmed Sardines for Salad
• 2 cans Sardines in Tapatio Hot Sauce from King
Oscar
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. lemon zest
DIRECTIONS
Kabocha Soup
Cut off tops of four two-pound Kabocha squash (optional). Clean out and discard seeds and pulp.
Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Cut four-pound Kabocha into wedge shaped slices. Retain approximately ¼
cup of Kabocha seeds and discard pulp. Wash seeds to remove excess pulp. Shell and reserve hulled meats
of seeds. Cook Kabocha slices on kitchen parchment lined oven pan 25 - 30 minutes until fork tender. Let
cool to handle and then remove green skin from flesh.
While Kabocha is roasting, sauté hulled Kabocha seeds in small sauté pan until lightly toasted. Sprinkle
curry powder and salt over seeds, stir and set aside off heat.
Sauté shallot, garlic and ginger in oil in deep stock pot until soft and shallots are translucent. Add Kabocha
flesh to pot. Add vegetable stock and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for approx. 20
minutes. Add salt and pepper to pot. Puree in batches of use in emulsion blender to blend all ingredients.
Kale Salad
Cut away heavy thick stems of kale. Gathering and rolling up trimmed kale, cut crosswise into about ½″
strips. Massage kale to soften texture with fingers for about two to three minutes (see Cook's Note). Whisk
remaining dressing ingredients into oil to emulsify. Set dressing aside.
Croutons
In sauté pan, heat oil with garlic until sizzling, add bread pieces and sauté until nicely browned. Drain on
paper towels.
Warmed Sardines for Salad
Drain sardines carefully
Gently heat remaining sardine ingredients in a small sauté pan. Warm and turn sardines carefully so as not
to break them up.
Plate
If using Kabocha gourds to serve soup in, microwave cleaned smaller gourds for three minutes in
microwave or heat in 250-degree oven for five minutes. Ladle soup into gourds or soup bowls. Add
decorative splash of reserved coconut milk (optional) and place 8 - 10 seasoned Kabocha seeds in on top
of each. Toss kale with vinaigrette, put on salad plates and finish with croutons and sardines placed on top.
Cook's Note: Kale can be a tough lettuce and it helps to soften up by massaging with fingers or even
twisting the bunched leaves to make it more edible and easier to enjoy.