Susan Jung’s recipes for spiced kabocha soup and Korean ginseng soup
In sickness and in health? Yes, you don’t have to be under the weather to enjoy these hearty soups
I have friends who are of the opinion that soup is fit only for invalids. They’re in the minority, though. Soups come in such a huge variety that there’s something to please almost everyone.
The following recipes are quite easy, although the presentation of the first makes it elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. The second recipe – for Korean ginseng soup – is substantial enough to be served on its own for lunch or dinner.
You can’t really taste the miso in the soup, but it adds a deeper flavour. Use whatever type you have in your fridge.
1 whole kabocha squash, about 1.5kg
Olive oil, as needed
About 30ml cooking oil
½ a medium-sized onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp piment d’Espelette, or to taste
2 thin slices fresh ginger
30 grams miso
1 medium-sized carrot
About 800ml unsalted chicken stock, preferably home-made (if using canned broth, use half broth and half water)
Fine sea salt
For the garnish:
3 garlic cloves
About 30ml olive oil
30 grams shelled pumpkin seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of piment d’Espelette
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Celsius. Carefully cut the top off the kabocha squash to expose the cavity (which will be used to serve the soup). Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, leaving behind the flesh. Very lightly brush olive oil over the exposed flesh in the cavity and in the top of the squash. Place the squash (and the cut-off top) on a baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out as much flesh as possible from the top of the squash. Scoop out the flesh from the cavity, but don’t make the “wall” of the squash too thin, or it might collapse when you serve the soup; it should be about 8mm thick.
