One-pot kabocha, chickpea and miso soup

Photo: Minimalist Baker

Ten ingredients, one pot, half an hour. Kabocha melts into the broth, chickpeas make it a meal, and the miso goes in at the very end so it stays bright.

From Dana Shultz at Minimalist Baker · @minimalistbaker

A weeknight soup with real body: some kabocha breaks down and thickens the broth while the rest stays in chunks.

You need

• 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced white or yellow onion (about ½ medium)
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 heaping cups kabocha squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained (double it for a heartier soup)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chopped kale or other hearty greens
• 2 tbsp chickpea miso (or white miso if gluten isn't a concern)
• Sesame seeds, to serve

How to make it

1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Add the kabocha, chickpeas, broth and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the kabocha is tender all the way through and some of the edges have started to fall apart.
3. Stir in the kale and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until it's bright green and wilted.
4. Take the pot off the heat. Put the miso in a small bowl, whisk in a ladle of hot broth until smooth, then stir it into the soup. (Boiling miso dulls its flavor, so it always goes in last, off the heat.)
5. Taste and add a pinch of salt if it needs it (miso brands vary a lot). Serve topped with sesame seeds.

Written in our own words from Dana Shultz's recipe, with their quantities. The original: One-pot kabocha, chickpea and miso soup, Minimalist Baker.

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