Spicy Curry Pumpkin Soup

I had originally made this soup for my Christmas Dinner last year. I found the recipe on epicurious.com. I believe the recipe was originally found in "Oprah Magazine" by way of "Simply Recipes" on www.elise.com. My family and I really enjoyed this soup... It's full of flavour and the spice is perfect for a cold evening. I really love this recipe and hope you do too!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 10-12 bowls

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine)
• 2  medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2  teaspoons minced garlic cloves
• 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2  teaspoons curry powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1  pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin puree (or 6 cups of chopped roasted pumpkin)
• 5  cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2  cups milk
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over mediium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute more.
2. Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. (I use a hand blender instead to puree the soup right in the pot).
4. With the soup on low heat, add brown sugar and mix. Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate. Add cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. If a little too spicy, add more cream to cool it down. You might want to add a teaspoon of salt.
5. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and/or sour cream (optional).