Curry Pumpkin Soup

This is great for those cold winter nights - or as a starter for Thanksgiving Dinner. Check out the Recipe Cove website for more recipes.

Orange-Cranberry Topper
In small bowl combine:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp. finely shredded orange peel
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh Italian parsley

Remaining Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 15-oz. cans pumpkin
2 14-oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup water
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Prepare Orange-Cranberry Topper.
2. In 4-quart Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add curry powder and pumpkin pie spice. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add pumpkin, broth, and water. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. In food processor or blender, add one-third of the pumpkin mixture at a time. Cover and process or blend until smooth. REturn all pumpkin mixture to Dutch oven.
4. Stir half-and-half or light cream, salt and pepper into pumpkin mixture; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with Orange-Cranberry Topper.

Serves 8.