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You might as well skip dessert! With its caramel undertones and its upbeat presentation, this soup is sure to be the talk of the buffet line! If you have leftover plum and onion jam, it’s fabulous on toast the next day!

To celebrate the upcoming holidays, we are giving away a Fruit Bliss prize pack! For a chance to enter, click here: 

·      14-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1” cubes

·      2 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered

·      2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

·      2 tablespoons maple syrup

·      ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

·      1 large onion, sliced thin

·      2 cloves garlic, minced

·      1 cup Fruit Bliss® French Agen plums, chopped

·      1 teaspoon ground allspice

·      ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·      ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

·      5 cups vegetable broth

·      1 can coconut milk (keep some aside for garnish)

·      Slices of pumpernickel or baguette, toasted

·      Sea salt and black pepper

·      To serve: toasted pepitas, fresh apple slices

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

Place the squash cubes in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet large enough so that the squash is in one layer. Place in the oven and roast for about 50-60 minutes or until the squash is tender and browned in spots. Turn about halfway. Add the apples after about 40 minutes.

During the last 10 minutes of the squash and apples roasting, heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until very soft and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and plums. Cook for one minute. Remove half the plum and onion mixture to the bowl of a small food processor, or blender (You could also use a mortar/pestle here, assuming your onions really caramelized nicely).

Add the vegetable broth and the roasted squash and apples to the soup pot. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Let the soup cool slightly and transfer to a blender. You might need to blend your soup in batches. When you are done, return the soup to the pot and thin with the coconut milk, making sure to keep about ¼ cup for garnish.

While the soup is cooling, process the onion and plum mixture until you get a jam consistency, about 2 minutes. Spread the jam on the toasted pumpernickel or baguette slices. Serve with the soup.