Scrub sweet potatoes well, then poke several times with a fork
Bake sweet potatoes on prepared pan in the center of oven 1 hour, or until tender
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat
Add onion, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
Add cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, pepper flakes, caraway, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until fragrant.
Add stock, chickpeas, and lemon juice and bring back to a boil
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh, adding to the pot
Use an immersion blender right in the pot to puree the soup, blending until smooth, or, transfer in batches to a blender, using care not to overfill, and keeping the vent open.
Taste and season with salt & pepper
Serve hot, with lemon wedges, hot sauce if desired, and garnished with parsley and Spiced Lemon Roasted Chickpeas
Notes
You can roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time (maybe while you have something else in the oven) and store them in the fridge until you're ready to make the soup.If you like more spice, you can increase the red pepper flakes, but I would recommend using a hot sauce at serving time so that people can add more spice according to their preference. Harissa is a perfect hot sauce for this soup.