As a kid, I generally refused all things squash, though I’m sure my mother tried her best. Zucchini got a pass, mostly because it could be sequestered into cake batter and smothered with chocolate frosting. In my defense, we could’ve done better with a name – as a verb, squash conjures less than appetizing mental imagery for squeamish young palates. I eventually came around thanks to acorn squash, which I believe was my gateway drug due to its impressive melted butter and cinnamon-sugar payload.
I lived all of my life minus 2 years without having eaten kabocha. Despite being late to the party, I’m here and making up for lost time. Here in Seattle, we have an abundance of Asian markets that always keep kabocha in stock. On a pre-Covid trip to Japan, I was amazed at the variety of kabocha dishes – kabocha tempura, braised kabocha, kabocha simmered in hotpot, even kabocha ice cream (which I am still hopeful will make it stateside someday).
While in Kyoto, Omar and I took a cooking class and learned to make kabocha braised in miso, dashi, and mirin. It was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten – the combination of umami-rich miso, sweet mirin, and creamy kabocha was addictive. When we got home, I turned those flavors into a fall salad that is now on regular rotation when the weather turns cooler.
In this iteration, I used baby bok choy, but any hearty fall/winter green will stand up to the rich kabocha. I added a tart accent with dried barberries, but dried cranberries will add the same pop of color and acidity. If you don’t have tahini, a simple dressing of sesame oil and rice vinegar would be just as delicious.
Miso kabocha salad + sesame dressing
Ingredients
- 2 lb kabocha squash
- 3 tbsp white miso
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 6 cups baby bok choy or other hearty greens
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4-1/3 cup dried barberries or cranberries
- 2 tbsp tahini or sesame paste
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
- Whisk tahini, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk miso and mirin in a large bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Cut kabocha in half carefully, scoop out seeds and pulp and discard. Slice into 1/2-inch wedges.
- Toss kabocha wedges in miso glaze, letting excess drip off, and place on baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, flipping halfway through. It’s ok if the miso on the baking sheet burns. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
- Add greens, walnuts, berries and kabocha to a large bowl. Toss with sesame dressing.
Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with foil, parchment, or silicone baking mat. You may need two depending on the size of your baking sheets.
