Tips for Success:

• Maple Syrup: Do not add the maple syrup to the Instant Pot when pressure cooking the soup.  Add it after the soup has been blended this will give you a better way to gauge how much maple syrup suits your tastes.  We don’t recommend leaving it out.  It adds a beautiful level of caramelization to the soup.  Do the same if cooking on the stove top.  In other words, do not add the maple syrup until all the soup has been blended.  We felt that 2 Tablespoons was perfect.
• Cayenne Pepper: We believe the cayenne pepper makes the soup.  That tiny little hit of spiciness on the back-end of the palate really elevates the soup.  We felt that 1/8 teaspoon was perfect.
• Raw Cashews: Since we are blending the entire mixture after cooking the soup, you can add the cashews directly into the soup mixture.
• Unusual Flavor: This soup is very simple, but the flavor is very unusual.  At first, you may not be able to wrap your head around it.  Keep eating.  After the third spoonful, your brain will kick in and we are hoping you will love it as much as we do.  We honestly do not have a way to describe the flavor of this soup.  It kinda reminds you of a roasted butternut squash soup with a caramel twist, but it is definitely not a butternut squash soup.
• High-Speed Blender/Emersion Blender/Food Processor: You can blend this soup using a high-speed blender, emersion blender, or a food processor.  A high-speed blender will create the creamiest results. A food processor or emersion blender may or may not be strong enough to break down the cashews enough.  We highly recommend a high-speed blender.
• Left-Over Veggies: You will obviously have a few left-over veggies after making this soup.  We recommend roasting them like we did.  Simply line a baking sheet with some parchment paper, and placed the cubed veggies on the baking sheet, sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.  Place them in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes, then remove and flip them around, and place back into the oven for another 10 to 20 minutes largely dependent upon the size of the veggie cubes.  Rutabaga is denser than the other veggies, so we recommend cutting them into smaller cubes than the other veggies or placing them on their own try to bake longer.  You can also toss veggies in some watered down maple syrup after the initial baking then return to the oven to caramelize the veggies if you wish.

 Notes Continued:

*Vegetable Stock:   We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Cashews:  We strongly recommend using the cashews for this soup unless you are allergic.  The cashews lend this rich creaminess that is perfect for this soup. We have not tried any substitutes.

*Pomegranate arils: We used them to create a fun and festive photo; however, they are not essential to the soup. Some family members enjoyed them in the soup, and some did not like them with the soup.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Weights of Ingredients:  Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Rutabaga, Carrots: 1 cup each = approx. 5 oz. or 145g.  The yellow onion weighed approx. 8.5 oz or 244g after peeling and chopping.  The granny smith apple we used weighed approx. 7 ¾ oz. or 233g  prior to peeling and chopping.  The raw cashews weight approx. 2 5/8 oz. or 77g.

*Seasonings:  This soup is very simple, the only seasonings are sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  In our first kitchen test, we initially thought that the soup would need quite a bit of seasoning, only to find out that we should have stuck to our original recipe conversion.  However, for those folks who make this soup and want something savorier, you can consider adding ½ to 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 Tablespoons of dried minced onion flakes.  Again, we preferred this soup in later kitchen tests with only sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, which is what the original chef placed in the original recipe. He was spot on.

*Serving:  4 (makes 7 cups)

*Storage:  Refrigerate and use within 5 days, freezes well.