Curried Pumpkin Apple Soup

Okay, I realize this sounds very odd. It is definitely not a soup for everyone, but we LOVED it! It smelled wonderful and was very tasty. Kailyn drank her bowl so it was a hit. I served this soup with cornbread and a salad. It really hit the spot on a cool fall evening. I got this recipe from the Family Fun website. They have fun recipes that I like to try from time to time.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

1 cup of celery, chopped

1/2 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (I just used the whole apple)

2 tsp mild curry powder (I used more, prob 3 tsp)

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1/4 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)

2-3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup (I used 2tbsp of honey)

sour cream and chives for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion, celery, and apple. Cook over med-high heat, partially covered, for about 8 minutes or until onions are clear. Stir in curry powder (and I added a couple shakes of cinnamon as well) and cook another minute or so. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and let cook one more minute. Place everything from saucepan into blender or food processor,add pumpkin, and pulse until smooth. Pour all ingredient back into saucepan, add the rest of the chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Then add cream (or milk) and honey allowing to simmer for a few more minutes. Serve hot with sour cream and chives if desired.

For a vegan alternative - omit butter and saute with olive oil. Substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and use soy or coconut milk in place of cream. For Daniel Fast, use vegan alternative and organic (no preservatives) pumpkin and honey.

Jill