Curried Carrot and Apple Soup

I love curry. "Bob" loves carrots. We both like apples. With this soup, we're both very happy. We adapted this soup from The Ultimate Soup Bible (2005, 2006, Anness Publishing Ltd.). For the record, adding croutons makes us ecstatic.

Curried Carrot and Apple Soup
Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1-1.25 pounds carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green apple, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pan and cook the curry powder for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat.
2. Stir in the carrots, onion, and apple; be sure to coat all with curry powder.
3. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.
4. Transfer mixture to food processor. Add half of the stock and process until smooth.
5. Return this mixture to the pan and add the remaining stock.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and season to taste.