Curried Carrot Soup with Ginger & Coconut

I'm glad I married a man who's as into Halloween as I am... that is, not so much. To be fair, I've been unduly influenced by a father who won't acknowledge the holiday, and haunted by the memory of an unnamed younger sibling being egged as a child while trick or treating... I was beyond ticked we had to head home early that year. (How's that for a scary glimpse into my childhood?)

That being said, even we couldn't resist getting into the spirit of the evening between the kiddos at the door and feasting on this vividly orange soup, accompanied by a leafy kale salad with roasted pumpkin seeds and fall crostinis loaded with various combinations of roasted beets, sauteed mushrooms, melted leeks, tangy chèvre and gruyère.

Don't wait for Halloween to roll around next year to make this -- it's warming, well spiced, and tastes both exotic and somehow familiar. Pairs well with chilly nights, fireplaces, and an IPA or glass of white wine.

CURRIED CARROT SOUP WITH GINGER & COCONUT 
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 TBS. coriander seeds
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1/4 c. minced shallot
1/4 c. minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 TBS. Madras curry powder (Some like it HOT: Hot Madras curry powder packs a punch, so for some heat at the back of your throat, use 3/4 tsp. Hot Madras & 3/4 tsp. Madras)
1 TBS. Asian chile sauce
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. anchovy paste
2 kaffir lime leaves, OR the zest of 1 large lime
Kosher salt
2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 c. low-sodium chicken, OR vegetable broth
3/4 c. fresh carrot juice (100% carrot juice can also be found at your local grocery)
1 TBS. light brown sugar
One 14-ounce can coconut milk, OR 1/2 can of coconut cream
1 TBS. fresh lime juice
Freshly ground white pepper
Chopped cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Directions:

In a small skillet, toast the coriander seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. (Don't have them in the pantry? Don't stress. Skip this step, and add 1 TBS. ground coriander to the next step).

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the toasted seeds (or ground coriander), shallot, ginger, curry powder, chile sauce, garlic, anchovy paste, and lime leaves. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the carrots, broth, carrot juice and sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Strain pureed soup through a medium sieve and return to sauce pan. (Easier: Have a second pan ready for the pureed soup batches, fitted with the sieve).

Once pureed and strained of solids, stir in the coconut milk or cream and lime juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Season soup with salt and white pepper as needed. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.