This comforting sweet kabocha soup has easy homemade mochi balls, topped with crushed walnuts. It is a perfect Asian style dessert that works for any day!
This soup has a creamy velvety texture from the cooked down kabocha flesh and a bit of oat milk. Since the kabocha has its own sweetness, you only need a minimum amount of sweetener which is just honey in this recipe. That makes this recipe free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar!
A hint of spiciness from ginger adds a soothing aroma and enhances the flavor. It is so gentle on the stomach yet very satisfying. While this sweet soup has been my favorite as a dessert, it works perfectly as a breakfast as well, especially on a cold morning.
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What is KABOCHA
Kabocha is a type of squash which is commonly eaten in Japan. Its taste is more like a cross between a pumpkin and sweet potato. The flesh has a sweet, earthy flavor with hints of chestnut, and is full of beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamins A and C.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Kabocha pumpkin - see below for how to prepare kabocha easily and safely!
- Fresh ginger
- Water
- Oat milk - or any non dairy milk of your choice
- Honey - adjust to your liking
- Glutinous rice flour - see below for more details!
Optional topping
- Crushed walnut
Which flour should I use?
Glutinous rice flour is the key to the gooey stretchy texture in mochi. Since they are made from sweet rice, they are also known as sweet rice flour or sweet rice powder.
For this specific mochi recipe, look for 'Wet (or water) milled' type which gives a smoother silkier texture in the mochi. This kind of glutinous rice flour is super fine and silky because the grains were soaked before being ground.
Check the link on the ingredient list above to see what I use in the states, or you can also use Japanese shiratamako which is made with the same milling process.
American brands such as Mochiko Blue Star or Bob's Redmill sweet rice flour are dry-milled with a coarser texture. They are not ideal for this recipe and will create grainy, doughy mochi balls.
White/ brown rice flour cannot be used as a substitution in this recipe because it will give a completely different texture.
How to make this recipe
- Cook the kabocha until fork tender.
- Puree the cooked kabocha, oat milk, ginger and honey together.
- Mix water and glutinous rice flour. Then roll into to 1-inch mochi balls.
- Cook the mochi balls in boiling water (takes only 2 minutes!)
- Serve the sweet kabocha soup with mochi, top with walnuts.
See below recipe card for detailed directions.
How to prepare kabocha (safely & easily)
I know it could be intimidating to cut into a large hard kabocha!
Here are some ways to make things easier.
Soften: microwave the entire kabocha for 5 minutes. Let cool or cool down under running water if in a rush. Alternatively, bake at 400°F for 10 minutes to soften.
Empty: cut the kabocha into half vertically and spoon out the seeds and membranes.
Peel: lay the kabocha on the cutting board with the cut side down, then slice off the skin with a knife or use a sharp peeler.
Cut: use a sharp knife to cut into cubes. The smaller the pieces are, the faster your kabocha will cook.
Storing and reheating direction
Kabocha soup and mochi need to be stored separately. For the cooked mochi balls, cover them with cold water and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Beyond that, the surface of the mochi balls start to melt into the water. The kabocha soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
To reheat, microwave both separately until each reaches your desired temperature. Then serve together in a bowl. If heating on the stovetop, reheat the soup first in a pan, then add in the mochi balls afterwards.
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Recipe
Sweet Kabocha Soup with Mochi
Ingredients
- 1 pound kabocha pumpkin peeled, membrane and seeds taken out, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 large fresh ginger slice
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup oat milk or any non-dairy milk
- 4 tablespoons honey or more
For mochi balls:
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour *see notes for details
- ½ cup water more or less
Optional topping
- crushed walnut
Instructions
- Place the kabocha cubes, ginger slice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan.
- Cover and boil for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin becomes fork tender.
- Add oat milk and honey into the saucepan.
- Puree the mixture until smooth, using a hand blender or a blender.
- For mochi balls, place the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add ½ cup water little by little, mixing with hand at the same time. Stop adding water when the dough becomes wet enough to form a ball.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch size balls and flatten the middle. Cook them in boiling water for 2 minutes or so until they float to the surface. Transfer the mochi into cold water so they do not get cooked further.
- Serve the sweet kabocha soup with cooked mochi balls. Sprinkle crushed walnuts on top.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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