Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

A Thrive original soup from the first Food as Medicine class. This soup will be a favorite. You can easily substitute apples for pears if you have them on hand.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. cut up butternut squash (about 12 cups) 1 T olive oil
• 4 pears, cored and cut up, skin left on ¾ cup thinly sliced leeks
• 1 large onion and 2 cloves garlic 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t sea salt of Himalayan salt
• ½ t cayenne pepper
• 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups cashew milk

Directions:

1. Toss squash, pears, onion, and garlic with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Put roasted vegetables in the slow cooker and add broth. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Use an immersion blender to liquify
   the vegetables. Add cashew milk and mix with a blender to combine.
3. Heat leeks in a saucepan with oil and salt.
4. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Top with leeks.

Cashew Milk: Soak 1 cup of cashews overnight in water. Drain. Add 2 cups filtered water to cashews in a blender and blend
until in a milk.