Sweet Potato & Orange Soup

In this recipe, the sweet potatoes are slow-roasted in the oven until soft and caramelized, giving this soup a deep, rich flavour. Orange juice and zest wake it up with sweetness and tang. This delicious purée gets topped with a crunchy granola packed with walnuts, seeds and spices, sweetened with maple syrup. Watch out! A hint of cayenne gives it a fiery kick.

2 navel oranges

5 medium-size sweet potatoes, about 2½ lbs (1.13 kg) 2 unpeeled Spanish onions, halved

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tbsp (15 mL) cumin

6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable stock

¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar

Spicy Maple Granola (recipe on page 96) 2 Zest oranges and reserve zest for later. Cut oranges in half. Place oranges, sweet potatoes and onions on baking tray. Bake until oranges begin to caramelize and sweet potatoes are tender enough to pierce through with a knife with no resistance, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove tray from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

3 Peel the potatoes and onions and discard skin. Roughly chop, keeping them each separate.

4 Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Place garlic and onions in the pot with the salt and cumin. Cook until onions are beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes.

5 Add in sweet potato and stir with a wooden spoon. Use the spoon to mash the potato as you stir.

6 Firmly squeeze the roasted oranges to release their juices into the pot. Add in the zest. Pour in the vegetable stock then increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring intermittently.

7 Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in apple cider vinegar and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

8 Serve soup and top with Spicy Maple Granola.

Make 6 cups (1.5 L); serves 6 WHAT TO SERVE

Batasiolo Bosc d’la Rei Moscato d’Asti DOCG LCBO 277194, $16.95

Henry of Pelham Special Select Late Harvest Vidal VQA LCBO 395228, 375 mL, $19.95