Sweet potato and red pepper soup

This is my favourite go to recipe for this time of year when you need something to hit the spot and warm you up in a jiffy.

I like to make a big batch of this yummy soup in the morning, normally a Saturday when we've nothing much on, leave it in the slow cooker just to keep nice and hot, pull on our wellie boots, go for a brisk walk, and then we get back, ears, nose and toes all numb we are so ready for a steaming bowl of this healthy, very tasty and filling soup to help thaw us out AND.......it's the law that you have to eat it with great big slabs of crusty bread, forget the carbs!!!

Here are the ingredients and recipe if you fancy giving it a go.

1 red onion sliced/chopped

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

300ml vegetable stock

400g can of chopped tomatoes

100g sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper

Pre heat a large non stick pan and dry fry the onion, paprika and garlic for 2-3 minutes.

Add the red pepper and chilli flakes but be careful not to add too many, you can't take them out but can easily add more later if you prefer it spicy. (We all love ours quite spicy). Stir in the vegetable stock and tomatoes.

Bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for a few minutes.

Add the potatoes and simmer again until cooked through.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

The sweet potatoes really thicken up this soup so you can leave it nice and chunky.

OR, blitz it until it's nice and smooth.

Personally we all love it smooth in our household, good job we all like it the same really, and it's at this time I'll add more chilli flakes if it needs it and I'll also add in some water if I think it needs thinning down a bit, it goes further that way! 

I need to make it go further because the minute this is made everyone scoffs it down, and its a miracle if I have any left to freeze!! It's like, now you see it, now you don't!

This is such a speedy soup to make and these ingredients serve just 2. I'll often double/treble up whilst I'm on the job.

If it's a cold and miserable day where you are next weekend why not make some, grab your crusty bread and dive right in.

Enjoy and please let me know your thoughts.