Curried Carrot & Apple Soup

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and stir to coat. Saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, apple, carrots and curry and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the broth and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.

In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot slices and saute until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Using an immersion blender or jar blender, blend the soup until smooth. If using a jar blender, you may need to do this in batches. Never overfill the jar blender with hot soup, or you’ll be cleaning your ceiling! Stir in the half-and-half and then ladle into bowls and top with the crispy shallots and serve.