We Asked 3 Chefs Their Favorite Winter Squash

Remember when butternut squash soup was a feature of every trendy restaurant menu? Fast-forward a few years, and a variety of heirloom winter squash varieties are now available (and ubiquitous) in markets and grocery stores nationwide this time of year. They’re not just meant for creamy soups, though. These versatile gourds have become a valuable piece of produce, helping chefs and home cooks whip up everything from crispy roasted side dishes to hearty main courses and even desserts.

With so many varieties available, how do you separate the good from the meh? We reached out to three chefs who know their way around a pumpkin patch. And when it comes to winter squash, they all agreed, kabocha is a best-tasting, top-notch pick! If you’re scratching your head wondering, “Kabo-what?” don’t worry. We’re here to introduce you to your new favorite winter vegetable.

Kabocha Is the Chefs’ Choice

Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is a type of winter squash with dark green, bumpy skin and bright orange flesh. It’s sweeter than butternut squash, with a flavor often compared to a mix of sweet potato and pumpkin. The dense and smooth texture of the flesh is similar to butternut and is excellent for making soups, roasted dishes or purees. And you can even eat the skin once it’s cooked.

It’s a versatile ingredient for both savory and sweet dishes, and because it’s not overly watery, it holds up well in curries, stews and pies. Though it’s a staple in Japanese cuisine, Akiko Kurematsu, a journalist, expert on Japanese culture and food and author of the Mother Tongue cookbook shares that “the kabocha squash … actually arrived in Japan from the U.S. in the late 1800s.” She adds, “The common kabocha—specifically the Seiyo (Western) squash, is loved [in Japan, the U.S. and worldwide] for its starchy, sweet flesh and smooth, edible skin.” This globe-trotting vegetable has found its way into cuisines around the world, delighting the taste buds of those who try it.

But what makes kabocha such a darling of the culinary world? “It’s so versatile, both in flavor and cooking methods,” says Casey Corn, a classically trained chef, food anthropologist and host of Magnolia Network’s Recipe Lost and Found. “The skin is very tough but technically edible, so it is a great ‘set it and forget it’ squash. You can roast it whole, sliced, halved, using as much or as little effort as you want.” 

Suzanne Podhaizer, a freelance journalist who used to be the chef and owner of the former farm-to-table restaurant Salt Café, in Montpelier, Vermont, appreciates kabocha’s sweet, nutty flesh. “It is rich, dense and sometimes tastes a bit like chestnut,” she describes, going on to say that common American supermarket squash varieties, like butternut, acorn and pie pumpkin, are often not as flavorful as their lesser-known counterparts. 

Daniel Janetos, a self-proclaimed “Cereal Entrepreneur” with multi-Michelin star roots in the World’s Top 50 restaurants, namely Le Gavroche and The Savoy, cites kabocha as among his favorites from a culinary perspective. “It’s sweeter than other squash varieties, [and] after [it’s] cooked, it becomes soft and creamy,” he muses.  

But it’s not just a treat for the palate. Like many other varieties of squash, it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Nutrients are a “growing concern” for Janetos as a young father of two. He says he loves that kabocha is packed with fiber, vitamins A and C, has antioxidants and is low in calories: “You can eat just about as much as you want of it.” And he’s not entirely wrong! Every ⅔ cup serving of kabocha (a pretty small amount) has 9 milligrams of vitamin C, 350 mg of potassium (that’s 10% and 7% of the Daily Value, respectively), 3 grams of sugar, 7 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fiber and only 30 calories. An older study comparing pumpkin and kabocha squash found kabocha to have more antioxidant activity and higher levels of protein, fat and amino acids than pumpkin. No matter how you dice it, there’s a benefit to including it in your diet!

Prepping the Squash

Kabocha can be prepared similarly to butternut, from preparation to cooking techniques. Corn recommends taking advantage of its tough skin and stuffing kabocha. “I love preparing it like you’re starting to make a jack-o’-lantern,” she says. She cuts off the top, scoops out the seeds, rubs the inside with oil, and slowly roasts it until it’s partially cooked before stuffing it. Alternatively, she’ll stuff it before roasting when the filling needs a longer cooking time.

Podhaizer offers a simpler approach for those new to kabocha: “I love to cut kabocha squash in half [and] and scoop out the seeds,” which she uses in stock or cleans and roasts to use as a salad garnish. Then, she roasts the halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375°F. “When you can easily stick a fork through the flesh, the squash is done,” she says. Janetos, ever the innovator, suggests keeping a kabocha puree on hand. “I like to keep a puree in my fridge to use in … bowls, add some stock and turn into an instant soup or impress guests with a swipe of warm squash puree underneath a piece of grilled or braised meat,” he shares.

Other Ways to Enjoy It

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are countless other ways to incorporate kabocha into your culinary repertoire. Although these linked recipes are prepared with different squash varieties, kabocha can easily be swapped in. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Make it crunchy. Vivian Jao, former director of the Saveur test kitchen and co-author of Korean Food Made Simple, suggests embracing kabocha’s Japanese roots by lightly battering and frying thin slices in tempura batter. Serve it with tentsuyu, a traditional tempura dipping sauce made from dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sometimes grated daikon.
• Curry-fy it. Add chunks of kabocha to your favorite curry or stew recipe. In this lamb stew, its sweet flavor balances beautifully with the earthy, savory sauce.
• Add some leafy greens. Roast cubes of kabocha and toss them with greens, grains, dried fruit, sharp cheese, toasted nuts and a zesty vinaigrette for a hearty fall salad.
• Make a kabocha pie. Move over, pumpkin pie! Kabocha is an excellent base for a creamy, sweetly spiced pie that might become your new Thanksgiving favorite.

Our Expert Take

The next time you face a sea of squash at the farmers market, don’t hesitate to reach for that green, bumpy kabocha. With its versatility, nutrition and chef-approved deliciousness, it’s sure to become a staple in your autumn cooking repertoire. Who knows? You might even find yourself daydreaming about “kabocha spice lattes” next fall.