Kabocha and Root Vegetable Soup

little pastries filled with luscious chocolate. There haven’t been any complaints about this dish since it was passed down in my family for a while.

Ingredients

Cut kabocha squash into 1-inch chunks and carefully trim the peel off each chunk.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add coriander seed. Toast in the skillet until seeds start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Grind seeds in a coffee grinder.
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add carrots and parsnip; cook and stir until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add leeks and ground coriander; saute until soft, adding a little stock if the pot gets dry. Add the kabocha, remaining vegetable stock, and basil. Add water to cover squash, if necessary. Bring soup to a boil; reduce to simmer. Continue simmering until squash is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
Remove soup from heat. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in heavy cream.
Use any flavorful squash you prefer, something like kirin, kabocha, or even pumpkin. Avoid butternut — too bland.
As an alternate garnish, I have also prepared a topping by finely dicing some of the parsnips and carrots and the thick, green, leafy stalk of the leeks, sauteed and glazed with brown sugar and a little cayenne pepper or hot paprika.