Sweet Potato and Butter Nut Squash Soup

This soup is perfect for those cold wintery days we've been having in England at the moment. It's filling, so you won't go hungry throughout the day, and "souper" yummy (see what I did there).

Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 sweet potatoes (or 1 large)
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- olive oil
- vegetable stock
- salt & pepper

Recipe:
Peel then cut butternut squash and sweet potato into large chunks, put in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast at 180 degrees for 45-60 mins (until soft). Take out and leave to cool.

Dice the carrots, celery, onion and garlic (I crush the garlic), season with salt & pepper place in sauce pan, cover with olive oil on low heat and sweat for 20 mins.  

Add to pan butternut squash and sweet potato, add 1litre of vegetable stock, bring to boil then simmer for 30-40 mins (or until veg is soft).

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Serve in bowl with yogurt or creme fresh and if really hungry have with toasted bread.

Enjoy x

Sunday Soup

So if you haven't noticed yet I post on Mondays (health and fitness) and Fridays (beauty). As two blogs a week isn't a lot this will be my third blog each week. I will most likely post soup or Salad recipes for you to try every Sunday.

One promise I make to you, all the soups will be healthy and hopefully you'll find them as scrummy as I do!!
Now on with the blog...

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 celery sticks
• 1 large carrot
• 1 small onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 leak
• 1/2 savoy cabbage
• 2 large tablespoons (tbs) tomato puree
• Salt and pepper
• Mixed herbs (fresh and dried)
• 2 litres vegetable stock
• 1 tbs olive oil

Instructions:

1. Chop up all the vegetables
2. Put olive oil in a pan
3. Put the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in the pan over a high heat and stir making sure the olive oil coats it.                                                                                                                                           Once it begins sizzling turn down the heat and then leave to sweat - translation: put the lid on and leave - for 10-20 mins (dependent upon how much time you have and how soft you like your veg)
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Add herbs
6. Add stock, bring to the boil and then bring down to a simmer.                                                         Leave to cook for 15 mins
7. Add tomato puree, leaks and cabbage
8. Stir, boil then bring down to a simmer again
9. Leave to cook for 20-30 mins
10. Serve with a side a rye bread to keep your calorie intake low ;)

*If you wanted to add pasta, to keep this soup healthy it would have to be brown whole wheat pasta, you would put it in after 15 mins of step 9 and leave for 5-10 mins.

Prep Time: 10 mins approx.
Cooking Time: 60 mins approx.
Serves: 6 approx.


Slim Tip:
You can make soups out of almost anything - stray away from potatoes and white pasta/rice (carbs) to keep it clean.