Korean Pumpkin Soup – From Kabocha Pumpkin

Korean Pumpkin Soup (or Porridge). As a child, I was never a big fan of this soup. It always felt like “old-people food”. My parents and grandparents would like to eat it from time-to-time. Lately, I have started to crave this soup. Perhaps its an age thing? When you’re young, you are looking for sharp, salty, strong tastes! But as you get older, you look for healthier, simpler foods.

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Korean Pumpkin Soup is made with the Kabocha pumpkin. This pumpkin has a very sweet taste – even sweeter than butternut squash. And the texture is similar to that of a sweet potato. Overall, it tastes great as a light soup.

There is another variation of this soup where rice is mixed into the soup – turning it into a rice porridge. It is a popular among Koreans when they lose their appetite, feeling under-the-weather, or as part of a weight-loss diet. If you want to turn it into a porridge, simply add some cooked white rice when you mix in the blender.

Whether you choose the soup or porridge version, it works well for breakfast – alongside some eggs and toast!

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Korean Pumpkin Soup

Korean pumpkins have a very sweet taste. Turn it into a simple soup for a light breakfast, alongside some eggs and toast.

Course Easy

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• Korean Pumpkin - 1 whole
• Water - 2 cups

Soup Thickener

• Glutinous rice powder - 2 tablespoons
• Water - 1/3 cup

Seasoning

• Sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Cook Pumpkin

• Put the pumpkin up-side down in a (microwaveable) bowl and place in the microwave for 5 minutes.
• Let it cool down (be careful - its hot!) and cut it in half.
• Use a spoon and scrape out the seeds from both halves. Halve again into 4 pieces.
• Then, use your knife to cut off all the skin from each piece. Chop the skinned pieces into smaller chunks.

Make Soup

• Place chunks into mixer. Then place 2 cups of water in. Blend on a medium until it turns into a nice, smooth soup.
• Then pour it out into a large pot. Put the soup on a medium heat and wait until it comes up to a boil.
• In the meanwhile, make a thickener by mixing the glutinous rice powder with water.
• Add the thickener sauce into the soup once it starts boiling. Stir it in well. Then season the soup with sugar and salt.
• Reduce heat to a low and let the soup simmer for 1 more minute. Make sure to mix so it doesn't burn.
• Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool down for 5 minutes. Then serve in a bowl. Enjoy!

Notes

• Don't forget to season the soup with some salt and sugar. Or else, it will taste flat.
• The soup tastes best once it cools down. Give it like 5 minutes to cool before serving.
• Please note that you may need to add more salt/sugar/thickener - as your pumpkin may be bigger in size.
• Watch video below for more details

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