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–+ servings

Kabocha Squash and Fennel Soup

4.97 | 30 reviews
This soup is packed with flavor, and probably one of the best soups I've had this year. And I am not exaggerating. And that's because this soup uses technique to build flavor, from char-roasting the fennel and half of the squash to gather all their caramelized flavor, to toasting the farro before letting it boil into the soup, to finishing with heavy cream for the perfect texture. This soup uses everything I love about fall to create a rich, filling, and good -for-you meal.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 large kabocha squash, 32 ounces
  • 1 large fennel bulb, 12 ounces
  • 1 large yellow onion, 7 ounces
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3 sprigs rosemary, 2 tablespoons, chopped
  • 12 fresh sage leaves, 2 tablespoons, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup farro
  • 7 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
  • 1 19-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, see Note
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions 

  1. Place two racks near the bottom of the oven and preheat to 425°F.
  2. Halve and deseed the kabocha squash. Cube the squash into 1-inch square pieces. Add half of the squash to a sheetpan, set the other half aside.
  3. Remove the stalks from the fennel bulb and remove the fronds. Thinly slice the stalks the same way you would celery and set aside. Slice the bulb into bite-sized chunks, add only the chunks of the bulb to a separate sheet pan.
  4. Halve the onion. Cut one half into chunks the same size as the fennel bulb and add it to the sheet pan with the fennel. Thinly slice the other half and set aside.
  5. Drizzle both sheet pans with olive oil and season the squash, fennel and onion with a pinch of salt. Mix to coat, and add the two sheet pans to the oven to roast for 25-35 minutes, or until charred on the bottoms.
  6. While those vegetables are roasting, grate the four garlic cloves, finely chop the three sprigs of rosemary and the twelve sage leaves and set aside.
  7. Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and two tablespoons of salted butter. Once the butter has fully melted, add the garlic, sage, rosemary, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Let these sizzle for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
  8. Add in the thinly sliced fennel stalks and the thinly sliced onion to the pot, stir to coat in the oil and season with a few large pinches of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to soften.
  9. Add the farro and stir to combine. Toast the farro with the other ingredients for 3-4 minutes, or until darkened by one shade.
  10. Add the remaining half of kabocha squash to the pot. Stir to coat it in the other ingredients. From here, cover the pot and stir every 4-5 minutes. Do this for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is softened. When the squash is soft, begin to mash it up with your spoon. The more mashed, the better the texture of the soup.
  11. Whisk together the Better than Bouillon and 7 cups of water. Add the chickpeas and this water mixture to the pot and bring it to a simmer.
  12. By now, the roasted vegetables should be out of the oven. Transfer them directly into the soup and stir to combine.
  13. Bring the pot to a low simmer, cover and let cook for 20-35 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavor you will build from the charred vegetables.
  14. When the soup is thick and looking dark and delicious, pour in the heavy cream.
  15. Taste and season as preferred, then enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a 19-ounce can in your stores, you can either decrease to 1 14-ounce can, or up the protein with 2 14-ounce cans.