Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

I love homemade soup and always have. It reminds me of relaxing Saturdays and late lunches as a child. It is the perfect lunch after you've just had a great big play outside in the garden! Or else, for the grown-ups, it's one of the best antidotes to a rainy day, a bad day or even a sore head, perhaps?!

I'm sure roasted vegetables and soup co-existed in the eighties and nineties, but I can't say they appeared in my house. However, since I discovered its deliciousness and depth of flavour, roasted veg soup has become a firm favourite for me. The combination of sweet potato and red pepper works so well and it goes without saying that your own homemade soup, with fresh vegetables, is undoubtedly a very healthy option too. I hope you get a chance to try and see for yourself just how tasty it is.
This recipe serves about 5 - 6 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped (if unavailable regular red peppers will work fine)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 vegetable stock cube (use Kallo for gluten-free diets)
• Kettle of boiled water
• Pepper and salt
• Rapeseed oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F/gas mark 6.
2. Heat a good tbsp of oil in a large ovenproof dish. Then tip in all the sweet potato, with 2 full sprigs of rosemary and the third one, finely chopped. Throw in the garlic cloves, smashed gently with the back of a large knife, but left unpeeled. Place the dish into the oven to roast.
3. After about 15 minutes, add the peppers to the dish.
4. Gently sauté the onions in oil on the hob for about 5 minutes. Crumble in the stock cube and add the carrots. Cover the veg with boiling water and allow to cook for 20 mins approximately, until the vegetables are quite tender.
5. Tip the nicely softened and caramelised roasted veg from the oven into the pot on the hob but hold back the garlic and rosemary. Peel the garlic and then pop it in with the rest of the veg. Add back in all the rosemary, minus the woody stalks.
6. Liquidise well, taste for seasoning (and adjust), then serve up!