Curried Carrot Soup

This was one of the courses of a "Healthy Whole-Food Cooking" class I took at Sur la Table. It was delicious!

Curried Carrot Soup with Toasted Seeds
Servings: 4

Curried carrot soup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil
1 large shallot, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp yellow curry powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced into 3 inch pieces
3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

For garnish:
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Put carrots, garlic, shallots salt and ginger on a baking sheet. Pour oil over the top and toss to coat. Roast in a 425 oven for 8-10 minutes, until carrots are soft.

While the veggies are roasting, heat a large saucepan over high heat. When pan is hot, add dry quinoa. Lower the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the grains start to pop. Stir in the pumpkin seeds and continue stirring until quinoa has popped completely and pumpkin seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in seasonings. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside for garnishing soup.

In a food processor, puree the roasted veggies with the curry powder, vegetable broth, lemon juice and coconut milk until the mixture is a smooth soup consistency.