A wholesome and warming winter dish made with flavoursome kabocha Japanese pumpkin. Much sweeter than Western varieties of pumpkins, kabocha makes a tasty and healthy potage that’s as comforting to eat as it is easy to make. This is a must-try recipe for cold winter days.

If you are unable to find kabocha in your market, you can try and substitute buttercup squash or pumpkin puree

1. Peel, deseed and chop the kabocha pumpkin into bite size chunks.
2. Slice the potato into 5mm thick rounds.
3. Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Slice the onion, then gently cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft but not caramelised.
4. Add the pumpkin and the sliced potato to the pan and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potato and pumpkin are soft.
5. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the vegetables become soft enough to smash with a fork.
6. Then purée with a hand blender or a food processor.
7. Put the soup back into the pan and add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Reheat the soup. Add more milk if needed to reach your preferred consistency.
8. Taste for seasoning, adjust the amount of salt and pepper. Serve with chopped parsley, croutons or pumpkin seeds. Enjoy warm.