Kabocha Squash and Spinach Soup

Last night our neighbor brought us half of a squash that I'd had never seen before... so I looked it up and found out it was a kabocha squash. It looks like this...

I had no idea what to do with it so I looked up recipes and found this one:

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth

8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 packed cups baby spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated mozzarella or crumbled feta cheese for garnish

Sour cream

Method

Put broth, garlic, onions, and squash into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at a low boil until squash is completely soft, about 15 minutes. Mash contents of pot with a potato masher, then add spinach and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Serves 4

You don't have to peel the squash, unless you want to! I heard the peel is healthy, so I left it on!

I cut the recipe in half, since we only had half a squash. It looked so pretty while I was cooking it, so fall-ish! Of course it doesn't really feel like fall here, so it was a bit warm to be eating soup... oh well. It was really yummy, and super filling! We ate it with mozzarella and sour cream on top, with french bread on the side.