It’s been raining all day, and the high’s only in the 50s, which has me thinking of soup.

Last Saturday I used a buttercup squash to make my first curried squash soup of the season. The recipe is after the jump.

This is my favorite carrot soup, with garlic, ginger and some Chinese flavors.

Another favorite on days like this is simple potato, carrot and leek soup.

I still have a huge kohlrabi to use up, so kohlrabi and potato soup with caraway is in my future.

What are you doing now that autumn has arrived?

You can use canned pumpkin for this recipe if you don’t want the hassle of peeling a winter squash. Butternut squash is easiest to peel and chop. Buttercup or Hubbard squash are trickier to prepare, and I wouldn’t bother trying to peel an uncooked acorn squash.

The recipe is very flexible. I’m more decadent (using butter and cream) if I’m making it for Thanksgiving, but it’s fine with olive oil and a little buttermilk or low-fat milk.

Saute onions or leeks (I like two or three leeks, or a large onion) in butter or olive oil. Stir in chopped or pressed garlic (1-3 cloves) when onion is soft. A minute later, add about a teaspoon of ground coriander and a couple of tablespoons of curry powder (amount depends on your spice tolerance and what brand you are using). You can also add a pinch cayenne pepper.

About 30 seconds after stirring in the dry spices, add 3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth if you are using canned pumpkin, maybe four or five cups broth if you are using a peeled, cubed winter squash. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. If the broth is unsalted, you can add salt to taste.

Stir in the canned pumpkin if you are using that, or peel and cube your fresh pumpkin or squash. Add to the soup, raise heat to bring to boil again, reduce to a simmer and cook until squash is done. That takes about 15-20 minutes.

Add about a half-cup to a cup (depending on your preference) of milk, buttermilk, plain yogurt, or heavy cream. Note to vegans: I’ve never tried this soup with soy milk or rice milk. Stir, remove from heat, and puree in batches. Reheat and serve as an appetizer or a main dish with bread and some green vegetable.