Honey-Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

Using a whole can of chipotle chiles yields a moderately spicy, but still balanced soup. Feel free to lessen the amount of chiles according to your tastes.

3 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1 inch wedges
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 to 4 tablespoons honey, divided
1 can (7 ounces) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
kosher salt
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Finely chop the chipotle chiles, reserving the adobo sauce. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, cloves, the adobo sauce, chopped chiles, canola oil, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss well to coat. Spread in a single layer on two foil-lined baking sheets. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, trading the position of the pans halfway through, until the potatoes are soft and are dark golden in spots.

Put the roasted vegetables into a large saucepan. Add 6 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a normal blender. Be careful if blending hot soup in the blender–do so in small batches and hold the top on with a kitchen towel to avoid an eruption. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth as needed to thin out the soup. Season to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, and an additional tablespoon of honey if desired.

Garnish with a swirl of olive oil, a scattering of toasted pepitas, and a grinding of black pepper.