Invented on a chilly winters day as a way to use root vegetables.

Servings: 4
Ingredients

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
400 g swede, peeled and cut into chunks
150 g carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp sea salt
generous grind of black pepper
1.2 litres of stock

Method

1. Pour about a quarter of the stock into a large pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and stir. Continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Add the Swede, carrot and garlic, and stir and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper and stir in. Finally pour over the rest of the stock.

2. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until the carrot and the Swede are tender. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few moments.

3. In a blender, process the soup until it is smooth and velvety. You will need to do this in batches. To serve, reheat the soup but do not allow to boil.

A deliciously warming soup!


1 onion, chopped
568ml/1pt stock made with Vecon or Bovril
1/2 head medium cauliflower, chopped
1 level tsp horseradish sauce
salt & pepper black pepper
4 tsp freshly chopped parsley

Add the stock, onion and cauliflower to the pan, simmer for 30-40 minutes. Transfer the soup into a blender and puree.

Return to the saucepan and heat through stirring in the horseradish and seasoning to taste. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving.

Speedy Vegetable Soup - freezes well

1 can mixed bean salad
1 can green lentils (or handful of dried)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can baked beans
Handful of split red lentils
2 large leeks
1 large onion
4 medium carrots
2 parsnips
1 each green, red and yellow peppers
2 stock cubes
Salt pepper
Mixed herbs
Water (enough to cover all ingredients)

Chop all vegetables. Put them and everything else into a large pan, cover with water, bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are soft (about 30 mins). Once cooked, the soup can be left chunky or blended smooth.

Sainsburys 'Mixed Bean Salad' Ingredients

Mixed Beans (53%) (Green Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Black Eyed Beans, Borlotti Beans, Haricot Beans, Chickpeas), Water, Sweet corn, Sugar, Red Pepper, White Wine Vinegar, Salt.