Sauté onions and cinnamon stick in oil over low heat until onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add carrots, butternut squash and vegetable stock. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, until carrots and squash are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard cinnamon stick.

In a blender or with an immersion blender, puree soup until very smooth. Stir in nutmeg, cloves and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.

While soup is cooking, combine miso, tamarind, maple syrup, garlic, ginger and 1 tablespoon stock in a bowl and stir until smooth.

Miso-Tamarind Sauce

In a saucepan over low flame, heat miso sauce. When it begins to lightly bubble, stir and continue to cook for 30 seconds or so. Add remaining stock. Bring to a boil and stir in tomato paste. When sauce thickens, remove from the heat and set aside. When cooled slightly, pour into a “squirtable” plastic container and design your own swirls over individual cups of soup. If you don’t have a plastic squeeze bottle, pour from a measuring cup.