Place your sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic on a tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle your paprika over the top. Roast in the oven at 180°C / 360°F for 30 minutes. Make sure your tray is large enough to accommodate all your veggies in a single layer.
500 g Sweet Potatoes, 2 Red Bell Peppers, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Add the vegetable stock to a large pan
700 ml vegetable stock
Add the roasted vegetables to the stock and blend together until smooth.
Heat the soup until it reaches a boil, then turn the heat down. Check the seasoning and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve when ready.
1 dash salt, 1 dash freshly ground black pepper
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Sweet Potato - Sweet potatoes are at their best in Autumn (Fall) and early winter. The most common coloured flesh is orange, but you can also buy ones with red or yellow flesh. Look for potatoes with a smooth skin without brusing, spots or signs of sprouting.
Red Bell Peppers (Capsicum or Sweet Peppers) Large red bell peppers work best for this recipe. Don't be afraid to use any that are past their best as they will roast well. You can also use yellow or orange, but avoid the green ones as they have a more bitter taste. Roasted peppers that come in a jar are not recommended.
Onion. Onions form the basis of all soups. Use brown or yellow onions. If you don't have one you can also use a red onion or even shallots.
Smoked Paprika - this will give the soup a rich smokey flavour. If you prefer other flavours, see the suggested variations below.
Stock - use a good quality vegetable stock. The level of sodium in stock varies widely so always taste your soup before adding any additional salt.
Variations
Asian - replace half the vegetable stock with coconut milk for a creamier texture. Instead of smoked paprika, use a thai spice such as thai 7 spice.
Spicy - if you want to spice it up a little, add some chilli powder along with the smoked paprika. Just add a little to start with and remember chilli powders vary alot in strength.
Non spicy - instead of smoked paprika, add a teaspoon of dried oregano
Serving Suggestion
Serve with fresh crusty bread. You can also add some toppings such as croutons, chilli flakes or pumpkin seeds if you have used spices in your soup. If you've opted for herbs, a dash of cream and a sprinking of fresh herbs such as basil or parsley.
Storage
Fresh soup will keep well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. The recommended freezing time for vegetable soups to maintain the best quality is 4 - 6 months. It will still be safe to eat after this time, but the quality may start to deteriorate. Store soup in an airtight container.