Roasting vegetables really brings out their depth of flavour. This is a lovely earthy soup full of nutritious autumn root vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 large carrots, diced
• 250g swede, diced
• 250g sweet potato, diced
• 1 large turnip, diced
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1 large (red) onion, diced
• 4 tbsps sunflower oil
• 1 litre stock
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary or 1.5 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried thyme or 1.5 tbsps fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 tbsps single cream (optional)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
2. Put carrots, swede, sweet potato, turnip and parsnip on a baking tray and toss with 3 tbsps of oil and put in the oven for 30 minutes, flip half way through to ensure even roasting.
3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan and fry onion for 4-5 minutes until soft.
4. Add roasted veg to the onion. Stir in stock, rosemary and thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Whizz soup with a hand blender until smooth. Add more water/stock to procure the desired consistency.
6. Add single cream as desired.

If on a puréed diet, adding cream not only makes the soup more creamy(!) but adds some vital calories! Any combination of root veg would work, above is just what I used and it tasted fantastic!

Makes 1.2 litres (serves 3-4)