Simple Squash Soup with Ginger

Okay, it's October, I can start to think about cooking winter vegetables. I know winter squashes have been in the farmers markets for weeks, but with all the tomatoes and eggplants and so forth still so abundant, and with summer such a recent memory, I can just never bring myself to cook squash in September.

A farmer friend gave us a bunch of small butternuts that couldn't be sold. Most had their stems broken off and wouldn't keep. So I put the whole lot in the oven last night. Some went into this soup and the rest is in the fridge, destined for the freezer. I haven't quite decided whether to package it all in quarts for soup or in 1 cup bags for baking. Maybe some of each.

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 medium onions, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp grated ginger root
6 cups cooked butternut squash (or similar smooth-fleshed squash)
Water (or use stock if you like)
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and ginger and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add the squash and some water. Remove from heat and puree, either with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor (in the latter case, return to the pot when done). Add additional water if needed to achieve the desired thickness. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.