A perfect holiday dish – roasted kabocha flavored with umami-rich miso and warm pumpkin spices. Topped with fried sage leaves, pomegranates, and walnuts, you’re sure to wow your guests! 
Disclosure: I was asked to participate in the #soyinspired campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I was compensated for my time. Thanks for supporting MJ and Hungryman.
By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane for 15+ hours heading to New Zealand! The Hungryman did ALL the planning, which means all I had to do was pack my suitcase. It’s a hard life. I have no idea what our itinerary looks like, but I do know that we are going to the hobbit village – my one and only passionate request ;). We’ll def be taking a whole bunch of photos so be sure to follow our adventure on Instagram.
But for right now, it’s all about this nontraditional, yet unforgettable, dish for the fall and the upcoming holidays. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m a huge fan of miso. Here are a couple of my favs:
– Vegan miso green bean casserole
– Salmon barley bowl with chipotle miso sauce
Miso is basically fermented soybeans, rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And of course, it’s a delicious way to add more probiotics into your diet. Once ingested, these friendly bacteria provide us with so many health benefits, like boosting our immune systems, synthesizing vital nutrients, alleviating digestive issues, and even improving metabolism. All this to say, probiotics deserve a place in your diet.
Most of the time, I use the lighter-colored miso as its flavor is milder and sweeter than the darker ones. It makes for a pretty awesome addition to sauces and dressings. As I thought about what to pair with miso, the 4 kabocha squashes taking up valuable counter space made the decision very easy.
Kabocha is by far my favorite winter squash! And there’s nothing more comforting than enjoying a giant bowl of kabocha porridge with rice cake balls on a chilly day. To roast it, simply cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and slice into wedges. Kabocha has a pretty thin skin so it doesn’t need to be peeled. I think it makes for nice presentation as well.
Toss the wedges with oil and autumn spices, and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
During the last 5 minutes, pull the baking sheet out, brush the miso sauce on top, and voila! Savory and sweet with all the comforting warmth of familiar autumnal spices. The inherent earthiness of both the kabocha and the miso make for the perfect flavor marriage worthy of any holiday spread.
Top with some crispy sage leaves (I followed these directions – minus the salt. I can definitely use more practice but was a delicious addition to the dish!), pomegranate seeds, and toasted walnuts and watch the plate get cleaned up in seconds! I know I’ve listed the pomegranate seeds as optional, but they really round out the dish adding a bright tartness to each bite. So there you have it! Now go on and wow your loved ones with this nontraditional holiday dish. For more #soyinspired recipes, click here.
- 1 medium kabocha squash
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- Toppings
- Fried sage leaves
- Pomegranate seeds
- Toasted walnuts
- Preheat oven to 400F. Cut kabocha squash in half and scoop out seeds using a spoon. Slice into 1-in wedges.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Toss wedges with oil and spice mix and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the squash begins to brown on the edges and becomes soft. While squash is cooking, whisk together the miso, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar. Take out the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking and brush the miso sauce on top of each slice. Place pan back into oven to finish cooking. Serve with fried sage, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds.
I’m such a foot dragger when it comes to Miso! Between you and Danielle Omar, I can’t delay any longer. You guys have too many good recipe choices to inspire me!
Safe travels. Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Kabocha is one of my faves too. I actually did a winter squash sampling event last week and so many people ended up loving kabocha that the store sold out of it lol!
Have an awesome trip. 🙂
i absolutely adore kabocha! usually i roast it with coconut oil but i would love to try this miso version! Yum!
This is an interesting recipe. Happy travels to those people who do not have children. 🙂
Min.. I love you creativity and that you’ve paired miso with squash and pomegranate! Hope you and Tim are having a wonderful time in NZ (as I can see from your IG photos!). Sending much love dear!
I made this tonight…was absolutely one of the greatest dishes I have ever had…will make again and again. Great option also if invited to a holiday potluck. Will definitely wow guests!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish, Lisa!!! Thank you for taking the time to let me know ;).
The day you posted this recipe I was on my way to the farmer’s market so I decided to buy one of these squashes. I also had a huge bag of pomegranates from a friend’s tree. We have enjoyed this recipe three times already and it will be a regular in our household as long as the supply of squash is available locally. I didn’t know that the skin would be tender enouh to eat after baking and I love getting the extra nutrition. Also, the seeds are quite plump and I have roasted them along with the squash and have been eating them as a snack. Thanks for a great recipe!