Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Soup

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice, if necessary.* Prepare fresh pomegranate arils, if necessary.** Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.). In a stockpot, add butternut squash, sweet potato, onion, green chiles, chicken broth and pomegranate juice. Broil to a boil. Lower heat to a medium low and cook for 30 minutes or until squash can be easily smashed against the side of the pot with a spoon Add salt, pepper and sherry or white wine. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Process soup in a food processor until smooth. Return soup to the stockpot, add 1 cup of milk (or more if mixture is too thick) and reheat. Serve this pomegranate recipe in bowls with crisp corn chips, creme fraiche, pomegranate arils and toasted pumpkin seeds.

*To prepare fresh pomegranate juice, cut 2–3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

**To prepare fresh pomegranates arils, score 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate and place in a bowl of water.  Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs).  The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top.  Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl.