Velvety Kabocha Squash Soup [Vellutata di Zucca Mantovana]
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 4-5
 
Ingredients
  • 20 oz (550 g) kabocha squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium potato (about 3.5 oz or 100 g), roughly chopped
  • 1 small onion (about 2.5 oz or 75 g), roughly chopped
  • ½ leek (about 2 oz or 50 g), roughly sliced
  • 5½ cups (1.3 l) water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • heavy cream
  • 5-6 sage leaves
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • paprika (optional)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add all clean and cut veggies into a big pot. Add 1.3 lt of water in it and place it over medium-high heat. Bring water to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender and completely cooked through.
  2. Turn off the heat and purée everything using a hand-held blender. The soup should be a little bit dense. (See notes on how to adjust density)
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste and add bit of extra-virgin olive oil. To serve, add a drizzle of heavy cream in each bowl and garnish with one or two sage leaves. I love to sprinkle a bit of paprika and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on my soup...but they're totally optional.
Notes
*To make the soup less dense, add a bit of water and cook for a couple more minutes. To make the soup denser, in a separate small bowl dilute 1 tsp of corn starch in ¼ cup of cold water; add mixture to the soup and cook it for a few more minutes, until thicker.
Recipe by Very EATalian at https://www.veryeatalian.com/velvety-kabocha-squash-soup/