Carrot Cashew Curry Coconut Soup

We finally had that fall party we tried to throw last month but was stymied by our kids getting sick. I revived the same menu, despite the fact that about 15 centimetres of snow fell today. Even though it looked like winter, the fall-inspired dishes still worked. The hot cider smelled wonderful, as did the roasted apple chutney. I added this Carrot Cashew Curry Coconut Soup (from the Chez Piggy Cookbook)--a wonderful balance between creamy coconut milk and spicy curry (not that this picture does it any justice).

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 2 onions, diced

- 2 celery stalks, sliced

- 3 cloves of garlic, diced

- 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger

- 1 tbsp curry powder

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp tumeric

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 cups raw cashews

- 1 1/2 lbs carrots, grated

- 6 cups vegetable stock

- 1 can coconut milk

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a stockpot and saute onion, celery, garlic and ginger for 15 mins, until onions are golden brown. Add in spices and cashews and cook for another minute.

2. Add carrots and mix thoroughly. Add stock and bring to bubbling. Lower heat, cover, and cook until carrots are soft. Really, the longer you can cook this the better--it lets the flavours develop.

3. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in coconut milk and heat (but don't boil). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.