Chai-Spiced Sweet Potato & Pear Soup

- 2.5 lb sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes (1.25 kg)
- ¼ cup canola oil, divided (60 mL)
- 1 Tbsp honey (15 mL)
- 1/2 tsp salt (2 mL)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (2 mL)
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 4 ripe, but not mushy, Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and diced in ½ inch (1 cm) chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups water (1.25 L)
- 1 chai tea bag
- ¾ cup vanilla Greek yogurt (175 mL)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) canola oil and honey. Place sweet potatoes on baking sheet in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and reserve.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) canola oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Add pears and garlic, and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes.
4. Add water, chai tea bag and reserved sweet potatoes to the saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes to infuse soup.
5. Remove tea bag and using an immersion blender process soup until smooth, adding more water to achieve desired consistency. You can also transfer the soup in batches to a blender to process.
6. Stir yogurt until no longer firm and place into a squeeze bottle. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of yogurt and a sprinkling of parsley (about 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of each per serving).