Curried Pumpkin Soup

From the Menu Mailer Volume 4 Week 18

¼ cup coconut oil or butter
1 onion, diced
6 cups roasted, chopped pumpkin or puree (or three 15-ounce cans)*
6 cups chicken or beef stock
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
1+ Tbs curry powder
1+ tsp ground coriander
Pinch chili powder or cayenne pepper, optional
2 cups coconut milk (1 can) or dairy cream
½-¾ cup rapadura

In a stock-pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin, stock, garlic, salt and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Be careful to vent while blending so you don’t get hit with hot soup.

Return to the stove and stir in the coconut milk and ¼ cup rapadura. Bring back up to warm. Taste the soup and adjust the rapadura and spices. You might need up to a ½ cup more rapadura, depending on what type of pumpkin you used. We personally liked a lot more coriander and curry and Jeff liked extra cream.

*To roast your own pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds (save for another use, feed to your chickens, roast them or discard them) and place face down on a rimmed pan. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until completely soft when pierced with a knife. Cut away the skin and run through a food processor until finely chopped.