It’s perfectly fitting that Scorpio season begins right before Halloween and just before daylight saving time ends. Known as one of the witchier, more secretive, and deeply intuitive signs, Scorpio energy mirrors the shift in the season. The days grow shorter, the air turns crisp, and everything feels a little more mysterious.
I’m a Scorpio moon, and when I first found out, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Scorpios tend to get a bad rap or at least a few raised eyebrows and a knowing, “Ohh.” But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to embrace that part of myself.
Ruled by Pluto, Scorpio represents transformation, rebirth, and the cycle of shedding what no longer serves us. Lately, it feels like we’ve all been moving through some version of that – surrendering, evolving, and coming out changed. Some of us might even be entering our villain era, and honestly, given the state of things, it tracks. If this feels extra potent this year, it’s also because in Chinese astrology, we’re in a Snake year, hence the shedding.
This season calls us to turn inward, dive deep, and get real. It’s also a Hermit year, which in tarot signifies solitude, reflection, and renewal.
The recipe I chose for this month is from Hetty Lui McKinnon and embodies that energy: a silky, comforting Miso Ramen Kabocha Squash soup. The winter squash gives it a velvety richness, while the miso adds depth and umami. It’s grounding, nourishing, and quietly powerful, just like Scorpio itself.
A fair warning: this isn’t exactly a weeknight dinner kind of recipe. It’s simple in concept but involves multiple steps and about four cooking vessels. I’m much more of a one-vessel girlie (shoutout to NYT’s Melissa Clark and her sheet pan dinners, one-pot soups, and one-bowl cakes).
That’s why I only make this soup once a year, but when I do, it feels like a ritual. A warm welcome to the darker half of the year, and a small way to honor the transformative spirit of Scorpio season.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of your choice of stock (veggie, chicken) feel free to cut with water
- Your cooking oil of choice
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced
- 1 small/medium kabocha squash (the markets tend to have big ones)
- 1 lb fresh ramen noodles (not the dry kind, should be in the refrigerated section)
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1/3 cup of white miso
- 4 green onions
- Chili oil for serving
- salt
Instructions
Make your life easier by softening the Japanese pumpkin
Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake your kabocha for about 20 – 30 minutes to soften. Cut the kabocha up into cubes.
Heat the stock. Pour the stock into a large soup pot and set it on low heat.
Cook the onions and kabocha squash. Use a frying pan to cook down the onions until they’re soft and start to brown, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add the kabocha and season with salt and a little bit more olive oil, and pan fry for about 5 – 7 minutes.
Transfer the kabocha and onions into the soup pot with the stock.
Cook the ramen noodles. In a new saucepan, heat the ramen noodles according to the package instructions.
Drain the noodles and cool them down by rinsing with cold water. Drain and put the noodles into your serving bowls.
Add tofu and miso to the soup pot. Make sure the miso is melted and blended into the soup.
Serve. Ladle the soup over the ramen noodles. Season with green onions and chili oil to your taste.
JULIENNE CARROTS 