Orange vegetables abound on the autumn table. From winter squash to sweet potatoes, the season’s produce provides an earthy sweetness to the dining experience. My quick recipe for Sweet Potato Soup offers a taste of autumn in little time. The trick is using canned sweet potatoes. Most canned sweet potatoes come packed in syrup, which I drain, then rinse the sweet potatoes to remove any syrup left behind.

The soup begins by sautéing a chopped onion, and to keep this soup as light as possible, I omit any additional butter or oil here, coating a large Dutch oven with nonstick spray. Once the onion is tender, reduced sodium chicken broth is added, along with the sweet potatoes.

The flavors of this soup are a savory take on your favorite pumpkin pie, with spices including nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Salt and pepper to taste, a drizzle of whipping cream and a garnish of slivered granny smith apples makes this the perfect beginning to any autumn or holiday meal.

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken stock or broth
• 1 29-ounce can yams or sweet potatoes, packed in syrup, rinsed, drained and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced and cut into small slivers, for garnish

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add stock, potatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper. Raise heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.* Reheat soup, covered, over low heat. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with a bit of whipping cream, if desired, and garnish with the apple slivers.

Makes 6 servings.

*Soup can be pureed in small batches in an electric blender. Use caution when pureeing hot liquids in a blender. Never fill the blender more than 1/3 full of a hot liquid.