Ingredients: 3 tablespoons oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1½ cups chopped carrots 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 5 cups vegetable broth 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree 1½ teaspoons spicy curry powder 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional) (see below)

Directions: Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to hot oil. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth, salt, and pepper. Heat 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat. Puree soup mixture, a couple ladlefuls at a time, in a blender, pouring each batch into a mixing bowl until all is pureed. Pour all pureed mixture back into soup pot. Stir pumpkin, curry powder, and half-and-half into mixture in pot. Heat through. Serve warm. If desired, sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of toasted seeds. To toast pumpkin seeds: Combine 2 tablespoons olive and about 1 cup pumpkin seeds on a jelly-roll pan. Use a spatula to coat the seeds with oil. Place pan into the oven with the rack two positions from the broiler. Broil 1 minute, stir, and broil 1 minute longer. Let seeds cool on pan on cooling rack. Store seeds in a plastic bag. From Krista Kulas of Johnston. *See more recipes in our soups & stews collection