Roasted Butternut Squash + Apple Soup

This soup just screams fall. Basically, it's like Thanksgiving all wrapped up in a bowl that you can enjoy all fall.  Your house will smell divine and your tummies will thank you.  This is a re-post of the same recipe I blogged on about 1 year ago.  It's gluten free and dairy free! I have made a few updates but it has basically has remained the same.  What is great about this soup, is that it can be eaten as the main meal or as an accompaniment.  We recently had it alongside a delicious turkey, brie, apple, and peach jam panini and with a kale + cabbage salad.  Totally fall, totally comfort food. This one is a must try!

The Ingredients:
10 Cups Butternut Squash, cubed (about 3, 2 lb bags of pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's)
4 Cups Gala or Fuji Apples, cored and sliced into eighths and cut eighths in half  (I did not peel my apples but you definitely can do that.)
1 8 oz bag Fresh Cranberries
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar (brown sugar works too)
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
2 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
3 Cups Leeks, halved then thinly sliced (you can substitute for 2 cups diced sweet yellow onions)
2 Cups Water
4 Cups Chicken Stock/Broth
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine

The Steps:
1) Core and slice your apples into eighths.  I left my skin on but you can peel your apples. Then add the apples, butternut squash, and cranberries to a large jelly roll pan (12x17), lined with parchment paper.

2)  Next drizzle Honey and Olive Oil over the squash-apple mixture.  Then add in all of your spices, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir to coat evenly. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Keep in mind that the mixture will continue to soften in liquid after it's done roasting, so the pieces do not have to be entirely mash-able...yet. Throughout the baking time, stir the mixture a couple times to make sure pieces didn't get too dry. 

3) About 10 minutes prior to taking the squash-apple mixture out of the oven, begin to saute the leeks.  So, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, leeks, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a large stock pot and saute over medium heat until leeks soften (5-7 minutes).

4) After the leeks have softened, add in the wine.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then add in the water, broth, squash-apple mix and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-high and gently boil the soup for about 20-25 minutes or until the squash and apple can easily be mashed.

5) Next up comes the puree process.  I used a hand immersion blender (aka stick blender) but you can use a regular blender or food processor too.  If you use the latter, you will have to blend in batches so it may take a bit longer than using a stick blender. Puree until soup is smooth.  If you find the soup too thick, you can add in more liquid.  I ended up adding in almond milk to thin it--about 1/2-3/4 cup worth.  You can use cream, milk, chicken stock, or water.