A chunky nourishing soup. Leave out the chilli if you don’t want the heat and use paprika rather than smoked paprika if you don’t like smoky flavours. Serve topped with a watercress pistou and as a side serve with spicy sweet potato wedges.

Squash and Black-eyed Bean Soup with Watercress Pistou and Sweet Potato Wedges

Squash and Black-eyed Bean Soup

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-free | Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tin black eye beans, drained
• 1 small butternut squash, approx. 600g peeled and diced
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 sage leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika or paprika
• 750ml vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan gently sauté the onion in the olive oil with the sage, bay leaf and thyme.
2. When the onion is soft and translucent, add the garlic, chilli, ground cumin and smoked paprika or paprika. Stir-fry for a minute then add the squash and vegetable stock.
3. Simmer, partially covered for approx 20 minutes until the squash is just starting to break down.
4. Puree the soup until well mixed but retaining some texture. Add the black eyed beans and gently simmer for a further 10 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve topped with a watercress pistou and as a side serve with spicy sweet potato wedges.

Watercress Pistou

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten free | Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Large handful of watercress, stalks removed
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. In a mini blender or pestle and mortar blend the garlic with the olive oil and then add the watercress and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-free | Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 red chilli
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Scrub the skins of the sweet potato to remove the rough parts of the skin, leaving some intact.
3. Cut in half and then half again to create long even sized wedges and place in a roasting tin.
4. Deseed and slice the red chilli and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes along with the nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, salt and pepper and olive oil. Rub everything evenly over the sweet potatoes and arrange them skin side down. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes until the sweet potato wedges are caramelising.

Delicious food photography by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures.

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