Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Whipped up a quick soup for lunch today, in between running errands. Took me about an hour from start to finish and used up a few random items I had lying around. Adapted from a post I found, it turned out a bit thick but delicious. I probably would add 2 more cups of water the next time I make it.

Ingredients:
2 tbps olive oil
1 onion, cut in medium dice
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 cups of  vegetable stock + 2 cups of water
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 canned chipotle, chopped (less if you are not a fan of spicy)
1/4 cup fresh lemon  juice
Salt and pepper

 Directions:

Warm olive oil in large soup pan. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables brown slightly. When the vegetables have begun to brown add the spices. Cook until vegetables are fairly soft.

Add the stock and the sweet potatoes. Cook until the sweet potatoes are very soft, just about falling apart, about 40 minutes. Taste the soup and add chipotle and lemon juice. Puree the soup using a hand-held blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh cilantro leaves, or a small amount of harissa paste (if you are like me and always trying to add some extra heat).