Creamy Carrot with Curry Soup

Creamy soups are one of my comfort food although we rarely have a cold day here. Curry is also a weakness of mine and when I came across this recipe in AllRecipes, it sounded too good to pass up, and boy was I glad I tried out the recipe. The soup was delicious; a strong carrot flavour with subtle spice aftertaste. Gorgeous!

This recipe yields 4 servings (adapted)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound peeled carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 large onion, cut into large dice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 pinch sugar
• 1-1/2 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a dash of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
2. Add carrots, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Add curry powder, cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
5. Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Using a blender, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little whole milk, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
7. Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough whole milk so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, and serve.