Sustainable Blackawton Recipe of the Month All ingredients are available from the village shop. Seasonal Roast Vegetable Soup A really quick and simple method for making soup is to roast your chosen vegetables first and then combine with hot stock and seasoning before blitzing into a smooth soup. You can choose your vegetable combination according to what is in season or readily available. Winter vegetables perfect for soups include: Cauliflower Carrots Celeriac Beetroot Parsnip Squash Sweet potato You can start a base of softened onions or leeks in a pan and add the roasted vegetables to this but if time is short you can simply roast the chunks of onion with the vegetables and reduce the cooking time. Rotate the vegetables in the oven tray a couple of times to help them cook evenly. These soups will store well in the fridge for several days and can be frozen in batches. You can add flavour and texture to the finished soup with a herb pesto, toasted croutons, toasted seeds or nuts, grated cheese or a dollop of seasoned natural yoghurt. Roasted vegetable soup: 1 kilo vegetables - I’m using squash, carrot, parsnip and potato 200g onions 4 cloves unpeeled garlic Olive oil 1 litre stock Cream or coconut milk 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds You can use any squash you have. I like crown prince and butternut squash as these have rich velvety flesh which are perfect for smooth soups. Peel and chop the vegetables into similar sized chunks and mix with olive oil, unpeeled garlic cloves and spices. You can also add a little ground cinnamon or turmeric for extra flavour or chilli flakes if you want a little heat. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Roast in a medium oven for about 30 - 45 minutes or until nice and golden. Scrape the softened garlic from its skin and add the vegetables to a large pan with the hot stock and blitz all ingredients together. You can add coconut cream or yoghurt at the end to create a creamy soup. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with any of the following toppings; seasoned yoghurt, chopped fresh mint or coriander, toasted seeds, a squeeze of fresh lemon, or a spoonful of your favourite spicy sauce such as harissa. This recipe is very versatile and cost effective. You can try different combinations of vegetables through the seasons. Sweet peppers, tomatoes and courgettes work well during the warmer months. You can make a more substantial soup by adding cooked pulses such as lentils or beans to the pot. Summer Recipe suggestion - slow roast tomato and herb soup: Cut a kilo of vine tomatoes into halves and in a roasting tray lay them out cut side up. Add lots of olive oil, four or five whole peeled garlic cloves and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. You can also add fresh thyme, rosemary or marjoram at this stage and a little chilli if you like. Roast for about two hours on a low heat or until the tomatoes have caramelised and reduced down. They should be very soft. Transfer the tomatoes, garlic and oil to a pan and blitz to a smooth soup adding a little hot stock if needed or more olive oil. Serve with a basil pesto, toasted pine nuts and croutons. Recipe by: Helen 07833992220 helengrayskitchen@gmail.com
