Winter Squash Soup

Yes, I know. It's April! This is no time for winter squash soup! I know, I know. But, the school year is almost over (just a week of class and then finals to go) and I am trying to simultaneously clean out my fridge and avoid buying anymore food. I had a butternut squash and an acorn squash tucked up in my pantry, bought in January, and when I split them open for this soup, they were weirdly perfect. They did not suffer at all from their long confinement.

We are also having a chilly, rainy weekend and so I thought some thick warm soup would hit the spot. It did.

Winter Squash Soup (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

The original recipe calls for gruyere croutons made from slices of bread. I used what I had on hand, and it turned out great: I had these crispbreads and a little tub of crumbled soft goat cheese. It turned out yum, but you can totally substitute whatever you enjoy/have/can eat.

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1 medium-sized butternut squash
1 medium-sized acorn squash
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup whole goats' milk (optional)

For each toast:

1 cracker or thin slice of bread

2 tablespoons crumbled soft goat cheese

1 pinch dried thyme

1 pinch dried sage

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425. With a large, sturdy knife, halve the squashes and seed them. Place them on a baking sheet and roast until soft. Remove from oven and set aside. When it is cool enough so you don't burn yourself, scoop the flesh of the squashes out of the skins and set aside in a bowl.

Plop the butter in a large pot and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until soft, which takes about 10 minutes. Be very careful not to burn the garlic! If it starts to get a little too brown, turn down the heat. Add the squash, the broth, and the herbs and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the squash is very soft, which should take about 15 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender (you will probably have to work in batches) or using an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot, bring back up to a simmer, and add the goats' milk, if you're using it. Season with salt and pepper. At this point you can chill the soup, covered, in the refrigerator if you want to serve it later.

Take the crackers or bread slices and spread with the goat cheese, then sprinkle with the thyme, sage, and salt and pepper. Toast in a toaster oven or under the broiler in your oven until the cheese melts. Don't let it burn! Serve each bowl of soup with a toast.