Kabocha Salad Recipe

Kabocha Salad is mashed Kabocha mixed with mayo and seasonings.  It is a popular side dish for Bento or any Japanese meal.  Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) is sweet, healthy, and very versatile.  You can cook it just like potatoes.  Mash it, fry it, simmer it, etc. We made Kabocha salad with cucumbers here, but you could add other vegetables like sliced onion or cooked broccoli, and some protein like boiled eggs or ham.  It is similar to Japanese potato salad, but the ingredients here are a lot simpler.  Kabocha can be softened in the microwave very easily and quickly, so the salad can be made in no time.  It could be mashed completely to have a smooth texture or leave some chunks to enjoy a heartier dish.  This salad is so easy and tasty that you need to try it for a weekday supper

Originally posted on September 22, 2013.
Edited with a video on September 28, 2021.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Kabocha Salad

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: kabocha, salad

*Links may contain ad. #CommissionsEarned

Ingredients

• 1/4 – 1/3 Kabocha Japanese pumpkin
• 1 Japanese cucumber or 2 small cucumbers
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise preferably Japanese mayo
• black pepper to taste optional

Instructions

• Cut Kabocha into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook about 6 minutes in the microwave oven or until soft. Remove skins and mash Kabocha (you don’t need to mash all the way if you want it chunky).
• Slice cucumber thinly and sprinkle with salt in another bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes and squeeze water out.
• Mix Kabocha, cucumber, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.

Video