This creamy cinnamon ginger kabocha squash soup is topped with a tart cherry drizzle and pecan cherry crumble. Grab and bowl and get cozy!

Julie and I are in Paris for a quick 4.5 days.

It’s the most random trip ever (she entered a recipe contest on the spur of the moment, ended up being a finalist and then got to bring a guest for free to the cook off…in Paris) and after about 6 hours of sleep in the last 48, we’re back in our hotel room after a solid 6 hours of walking around the city and seeing some sights.

A few thoughts from Paris so far:

-Americans are still just as obnoxious, even all the way across the Atlantic. Overheard today in line at Notre Dame…

Him: “she said admission is free but to get in the queue”

Her: “the what?”

Him: “the queue”

Her: “what’s that?”

(all done in a thick redneck accent)

-On the Pierre Hermé vs. Laudree macaron debate: Laudree is like the outdated classical cafe you’d find inside a snobby Sak’s Fifth Avenue with the all the usual flavors (although gingerbread was a delicious slightly out of the box flavor).

Whereas Hermé is like the hip new chef in town putting foie gras (yes, seriously, we bought a foie and fig macaron) in your cookies.

Our vote is Hermé.

-When the weather says sunny and 60, it really means cloudy, feels like 50 at best and some occasional rain showers that will force you into a shoebox sized creperie for lunch wishing for a bowl of the cinnamon ginger kabocha squash soup sitting in your fridge at home, 3,500+ miles away to go along with your buckwheat, fried apple, goat cheese and ham galette and warm you up.

I didn’t get my kabocha soup (or the special hot wine they advertised and then were out of when I tried to order it!) but the crepe was pretty killer.

Pan fried apples…so much yes.

If you’re looking for that perfect fall/winter soup to warm you up though (in the absence of a cutesy Parisian creperie), I highly suggest this kabocha soup recipe.

As I mentioned in this guide to winter squash, I’m obsessed with kabocha.

It’s hands down my favorite squash of the season. Although closely rivaled by buttercup squash, which is eerily similar in taste. You can use either in this buttercup squash soup actually.

Sweeter than butternut (and with half the carbs – yay for eating more!), it makes the perfect creamy soup that pairs wonderfully with cinnamon and ginger.

It’s also great as stuffed kabocha squash and kabocha squash chili!

Roasting it is equally delicious and if you do so, swap it out in this koginut squash bowl for a lovely fall meal!

To help balance the creamy sweetness, I drizzled it with tart cherry juice concentrate for some zing. Don’t skip the pecan tart cherry crumble topping either because:

1. texture
2. more zing
3. I said so.

For more soups like this kabocha squash soup, try creamy carrot soup, coconut delicata squash soup. This copycat Panera tomato soup and this creamy broccoli soup are also decadent and delicious!