Spiced Pumpkin Soup 

1 ½ tbsp (25ml) butter
¾ cup (180ml) carrots, chopped
¾ cup (180ml) ripe banana, chopped
1 onion chopped
1 shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
5 cups (1.25L) chicken stock
2 cups (500ml) canned pure pumkin
¾ cup (180ml) canned unsweetened coconut milk
¼ (60ml) sweetened condensed milk
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground coriander
pinch ground allspice
pinch yellow curry powder
1 cup (250ml) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Melt butter in large, heavy pot over medium high heat.  
Add carrots and next 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are 
softened about 10 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  
Transfer mixture to processor and blend until smooth.  
Return mixture to pot.  Add stock and all remaining ingredients, 
except cilantro.  Boil soup over medium-high heat to blend flavours, 
about 15 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Working in batches, puree soup in blender 
until smooth.  Return soup to pot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
(Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cool slightly then cover and refrigerate.) 
Bring soup to simmer.  Divide among individual serving bowls.  
Sprinkle with cilantro.  Serves 8

*Recipe by Maggie McKeown of Great Cooks on Eight as published in Bell magazine.

** Note: I prepared the soup without the cilantro. 

Adette