Last Friday morning I dragged the hubby to the Oshawa Farmer’s Market.  I knew this was the last week, and I wanted to make the most of it.

We got 3 spaghetti squash, 3 butternut squash, 3 monster leeks, a quart of (free!) potatoes, and a pint of brussels sprouts.  All for less than $15.00!!

I knew I had to get right to making soup with all of this fabulous fresh produce.  I chopped, scooped, fried, and souped for all of Friday. 

Recipe for Ginger-Carrot Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size butternut squash
• 1/2 onion – diced
• 3 carrots – diced
• 2-3 ribs celery – diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger – peeled
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. cut the butternut squash in half twice, and remove the seeds (you can roast the seeds like pumpkin seeds if you want!)
3. oil the squash and place cut side down on aluminum-foil covered baking sheets, and roast for 1 hour, or until soft when pierced with a fork.
4. allow the squash to cool, and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, set aside.
5. heat a deep soup pot over medium heat, and add 1 tbsp of olive oil
6. add the onion and cook until translucent
7. add the carrots and celery, cook for 5 minutes
8. add the garlic
9. grate the ginger with a very fine grater (I use a microplane) directly over the pot to catch the juice and the pulp
10. add the squash and 2 cups of water to the pot
11. bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft
12. allow the soup to cool, and add salt and pepper to taste
13. process the soup using a food processor, stick blender, or in small batches in a blender
14. taste again, and adjust seasoning to your taste
15. Enjoy!!

I made a triple batch of this soup, as well as a triple batch of my Potato Leek Soup.  I froze it all up, so now we have a freezer stocked with 6 litres of soup!  We will use these batches for quick, economical, and comforting meals over the winter. 

What’s your favourite winter meal?