Pumpkin, Cheddar and Chipotle Soup

Ingredients

1 sugar pumpkin or small butternut squash or 1 can pumpkin purée
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for roasting pumpkin or squash, plus 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander, 1/3 palmful
1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palmful

1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/3 palmful
Honey, for drizzling
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded yellow sharp cheddar cheese
2 small chipotle peppers, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 rounded tablespoon of adobo sauce
Unsalted crispy yellow or blue corn tortilla chips
Toasted pumpkin seeds, garnish
Unsalted crispy yellow or blue corn tortilla chips

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

If using fresh pumpkin or squash, preheat oven to 425°F. Peel, seed and chop pumpkin or squash, coat with EVOO, salt and pepper, and roast to tender, 45 minutes. If using canned pumpkin purée, skip this step.

Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots and onions to tender, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, a drizzle of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Toast spices, about 1 minute.

Add the carrots and onions along with the roasted pumpkin or squash to the bowl of a food processor and purée with a splash of stock. If using canned pumpkin, purée the onions and carrots together with some stock and stir in the canned pumpkin to combine.

Wipe out the soup pot and return to heat. Melt butter, whisk in flour then milk. Season with salt and pepper, and thicken to coat a spoon. Stir in cheese to melt, add chipotle and adobo sauce. Stir in remaining stock and squash or pumpkin purée. Let simmer to thicken soup.

Place a few crushed tortillas in shallow bowl and top with soup. Mix the tortillas into soup as you eat, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds on top.