Roast Vegetable Soup

• serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

1 celeriac (celery root)
3 parsnips
2 large carrots
800g pumpkin
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tsp sea salt flakes
2 leeks, trimmed
8 slices pancetta
A few sprigs of thyme
5 cups of water
2 vegetable stock cubes
Light sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Line 3 oven trays with baking paper.

2. Peel and roughly chop celeriac, parsnip and carrot and spread on one tray. Peel and roughly chop pumpkin and spread on the other tray. Spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 1 hour, until soft but not too brown.

3. Cut leek in half lengthways then chop into 5cm lengths and put onto remaining oven tray with pancetta, sprinkle with thyme sprigs. Spray leek with oil and continue to roast with vegetables for a further 15-20 minutes, until pancetta is crispy and leek is soft.

4. Heat water in a stock pot over a high heat. Crumble stock cubes into water and stir until dissolved. Add all vegetables and bring to a simmer.

5. Use a stick blender to puree mixture in the pot or process in batches in a food processor until smooth.

6. Serve soup with a swirl of sour cream, crumbled crispy pancetta and a few thyme sprigs.

Notes