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Sweet and golden kabocha squash shines brightly in this Kabocha Salad (Japanese pumpkin) recipe with crispy bacon and crunchy cucumber. This beautiful salad could become a new classic on your holiday table.

One of my favorite fall ingredients is kabocha (sometimes called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin). I have many kabocha recipes that I want to share with you, but let’s start with this delicious and easy Kabocha Salad.
Kabocha Salad – The Japanese’s Fall Time Favorite
Have you tried kabocha before? Kabocha has a dull-finished, deep green skin with intense yellow-orange flesh. It has a sweet taste, even sweeter than butternut squash, while the texture and flavor are a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.
Japanese love eating kabocha for its many health benefits. It’s high in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamins B1 and B2, and more. Beta-carotene can be converted to vitamin A in the body and vitamin A is important for healthy white blood cells, good immunity, and vibrant eyes, skin, and hair. It’s really good stuff! Whenever kabocha is in season, I will rush to the farmers market to pick up one or two to make some of my favorite fall recipes.
A typical kabocha salad includes kabocha, sliced cucumbers, and raisins and that’s how my mom used to make it. Sometimes kabocha salad also includes diced onion. Since my husband is not a huge fan of raisins, I replaced raisins with bacon instead. I love the salty flavor of the bacon in the naturally sweet kabocha. The crispy bits of bacon definitely add another dimension to the typical kabocha salad. You can definitely leave it out for the vegetarian version.
To prepare this salad, the squash is boiled until soft; it is then mashed (some chunks are good) before combined with cucumber slices, bacon (if added), and seasoned with Japanese mayo, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Very simple, yet utterly flavorful.
The slightly creamy and sweet flavor of this Kabocha Salad makes it equally fitting to serve as a side dish for your holiday dinner.

Just a word of caution: Kabocha has really hard skin. It requires a razor-sharp knife and a strong force to cut it open. So just be extra careful when you cut the squash.

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Kabocha Salad
Sweet and golden kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) shines brightly in this Kabocha Salad recipe with crispy bacon and crunchy cucumber. This beautiful salad could become a new classic on your holiday table.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
Gather all the ingredients.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from 1 lb kabocha squash and discard them. Cut the kabocha into slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Peel the kabocha skin. Then, cut the kabocha into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes.
Put the kabocha in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil the kabocha until soft.
Drain the water and mash half of the kabocha. It’s better to leave some big chunks unmashed for texture.
In a frying pan, cook 2 slices bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and then cut the bacon into small pieces.
Peel 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber lengthwise, alternating with unpeeled skin to make a striped pattern. Then, thinly slice the cucumber.
Put the cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Rub the salt into the cucumber and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then, squeeze out the liquid.
Combine the kabocha, bacon, and cucumber together in a bowl. Add 3 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and freshly ground black pepper. Mix it all together. Serve it cool or at room temperature.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 1–2 days or in the freezer for 2–3 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Kabocha Salad
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Namiko Chen
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: kabocha
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Meet the Author
Namiko Chen
I’m Nami, a Japanese home cook based in San Francisco. Have fun exploring the 1000+ classic & modern Japanese recipes I share with step-by-step photos and How-To YouTube videos.
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