Apple + Curried Pumpkin Soup

Directions:

1. In a large pot on medium heat, add in your olive oil, onion, celery and carrots. Sauté the vegetables for eight minutes, or until all the vegetables have softened.
2. Next, add in the minced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
3. If more oil needs to be added, add it in, then add in all your spices. Evenly coat all the vegetables and continue mixing for 2 minutes. This helps release the aromatics from the spices.
4. Add in the diced apples and evenly coat the apples with the spices as well.
5. Now, add in the pumpkin puree, then pour enough vegetable stock to cover the apples and vegetables. This should be a little over half the carton of stock.
6. Add in the bay leaf and let the soup come to a boil.
7. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes and the apples have softened, turn off the heat.
8. Remove the bay leaves and then ladle the soup into a blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes until the soup is smooth and there are no lumps. If you have a hand-held blender, you can use that instead to blend.
9. Transfer the soup back into your pot and turn the heat on the stovetop back on to a low heat.
10. Slowly add approximately 1 cup of vegetable stock to the soup to thin it out. More or less stock can be added depending on your preferred level of thickness.
11. Finally, add in the cooking cream and mix the soup together so everything is well incorporated and heated through.
12. Ladle and serve!