Koji × Olive oil
Kabocha Potage with Shio Koji and Olive Oil
Garlic, onion and kabocha squash cooked in olive oil, simmered with water and shio koji, then blended smooth. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt bring out the sweetness of the squash. No stock cube — just the umami of shio koji. An autumn soup, perfect for Halloween.
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Time
- About 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Kabocha squash (peeled, in 3 cm cubes)1/2 (about 600 g)
- Onion1 medium
- Garlic1 clove
- Olive oil1 tbsp
- Water2 cups (400 ml)
- Shio koji1 tbsp
- Soy milk (or milk of your choice)1/2 cup (100 ml)
- Salta pinch
To finish
- Extra virgin olive oil (Gordalilla variety)to taste
- Flaky salta pinch
- Soy milk (or milk), pumpkin seeds, cherviloptional
Method
- Remove the seeds and pulp from the kabocha, peel it and cut into 3 cm cubes. Thinly slice the onion and garlic.
- Put the olive oil and garlic in a pot over low heat. When fragrant, add the onion and cook over medium heat. When the onion is soft, add the kabocha and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the water and shio koji. When it boils, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the kabocha is tender.
- Let it cool slightly, then blend until smooth.
- Return to the pot, add the soy milk and warm over low heat. When it starts to bubble gently, turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt.
- Pour into bowls, add a swirl of soy milk if you like, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.
Tips
- Shio koji is a Japanese seasoning made from rice koji, salt and water, with a soft, rounded umami. Find it at Japanese grocery stores or online, or make your own.
- Peeling the kabocha gives a bright orange soup. With the skin on, it turns slightly green.
- Let the soup cool slightly before blending — hot liquid can blow the lid off a blender. With a hand blender, you can blend it right in the pot.
- Do not let it boil after adding the soy milk, or it may separate.
- Adjust the thickness with soy milk or water. It is also good chilled.
- Add the olive oil and flaky salt just before serving, so the aroma of the oil and the taste of the salt stand out.
- Keeps for about 2 days in the fridge.
A kabocha potage made with olive oil, perfect for Halloween. To finish, Chie used a Gordalilla extra virgin olive oil and Spanish flaky salt — a pinch of good salt really pulls the flavour of the soup together. The salt is lovely on raw vegetables too.
Chie Ando develops recipes for Medifar, the Japanese importer of El Labrador olive oil. This recipe also appears on Medifar's Instagram.
