Curried Pumpkin Carrot Soup

When it starts to get cold outside, I tend to put the soup on. While Chicken Noodle remains a favorite, sometimes it's nice to shake things up a bit. I've discovered a fun and easy soup that is quick to make, tastes great and is really healthy. Put your seat belts on--it's about to get a little wild in the kitchen.

You will need:

1-2 cups fresh pumpkin, diced into small pieces

two cups chicken broth

3 carrots, diced

1 onion, shallot, leek (whatever you can get your hands on)

1/4 tsp. curry

1 tblsp. butter

To start: Heat butter in a pan over low to med. heat. When melted, add diced onion, and saute until transparent. Add pumpkin and carrot pieces and give a toss in the onion-butter mixture, then add the chicken broth. Add the curry. Turn up heat to high until it comes to a boil, and then turn heat to simmer, cover with a lid, and wait until the pumpkin/carrots become soft. This is the longest part of the process, usually taking about 15 minutes. Once the veggies are softened, remove from heat, and set aside.

The next step requires a Cuisinart, blender or hand held food processor. I plug in my hand held food processor and blend the soup directly in the pot. After the veggies are processed, the consistency of the soup will become creamy. At this point you may want to taste the flavor and add salt and pepper, if you choose. Depending on how much spice you like, you may also want to adjust the amount of curry. Once the soup is of a creamy consistency, you can serve it into bowls, OR you can return it to the stove top and stir in cream, milk, or creme fraiche. Milk products aren't necessary, but if you want a super creamy soup, this will make it so.

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal in itself. Just pair it with a crusty bread and you're set.