Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

A sweet and heavenly soup, perfect for this chilly winter night.

Winter has arrived. In full force. The snow has been falling, the temperatures have dropped. My thermometer reads -4 degrees. Oh yes, winter is definitely here and it's threatening to stay.

With the wind whipping outside, our windows bracing themselves against the bitter cold, our bodies were calling for one thing and one thing only. A comforting, steaming bowl of soup.

A deliciouly vegan and gluten-free soup.

Deciding on the dish was easy, it was choosing what type of soup to make that was more difficult. A thick meaty stew? A brothy chicken noodle? A hearty bean and vegetable? Or a bowl of creamy, delectable, succulent butternut squash soup? I know, that's what why picked it.

Now that we had the base solidified, it was time to examine the flavor profile. I wanted to make this soup stand out from the other butternut squash soups I've made. Burst with amazingness when you tasted it.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

To make this soup pop with flavor, I chose to add apple and fennel, with a warm autumn spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. To give the soup an even bigger boost of flavor, I roasted all the veggies prior to boiling them, bringing a smoky and rich flavor that made it unique and scrumptious.

ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 medium red apple, chopped (I used an empire - crispy and sweet)
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 3 cups vegetable broth (I use Imagine's No-Chicken Broth)
• 1 cup filtered water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, mix the squash, fennel, apple and garlic with the olive oil. Add your spice mix, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Place your vegetables on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Turn the veggies over half way through so they don't burn.

When the veggies are done roasting, place them in a stock pot, add your broth and filtered water and bring everything to a boil. Turn down to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the ingredients are tender.

If you have an immersion blender (which I now happily do thanks to my grandmother for Christmas!), blend the soup in the pot until you have a creamy, smooth texture. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a food processor and puree in two batches.

Serves 4 large bowls of soup.