Curried Carrot Soup

Ingredients

-3 tablespoons canola oil
-2 teaspoons curry powder
-8 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
-4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
-1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
-5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the oil and curry powder in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery and onion; toss to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand 10 minutes. Lay a paper towel over the surface of the soup to blot away the oil that has risen to the top. Discard the paper towel.

Working in batches of no more than 2 cups at a time, transfer the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Return the pureed soup to the pan, place over medium heat and heat through. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.