Pumpkin, Cheddar and Chipotle Soup

Serves 4

Crispy corn tortilla chips and crunchy pumpkin seeds top this winter squash and vegetable soup, made with a cheddar cheese broth.

Ingredients

1 sugar pumpkin or small butternut squash or 1 can pumpkin puree
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for roasting pumpkin or squash, plus 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (32 ounces), 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 in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 rounded tablespoon of adobo sauce
Unsalted crispy yellow or blue corn tortilla chips
Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

If using fresh pumpkin or squash, pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
Peel, seed and chop the pumpkin or squash, coat with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast to tender, 45 minutes. If using canned pumpkin puree, skip these steps.
Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the carrot and onion to tender, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, a drizzle of honey, salt and pepper, to taste. Toast the spices, about 1 minute.
Add the carrot and onion along with the roasted pumpkin or squash to the bowl of a food processor and puree with a splash of stock. If using canned pumpkin, puree the onion and carrot together with some stock and stir in the canned pumpkin to combine.
Wipe out the soup pot and return to the heat. Melt the butter; whisk in the flour, then milk. Season with salt and pepper and thicken to coat a spoon. Stir in the cheese to melt, then add the chipotle and adobo sauce. Stir in the remaining stock and squash or pumpkin puree. Let simmer to thicken the soup.
Place a few crushed tortillas in a shallow bowl and top with soup; mix the tortillas into the soup as you eat. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds on top.