Pumpkin & Roast Tomato Soup

You can make this in your slow cooker or a big pot. It is perfect for those cold winter lunches, or rainy evenings. It freezes really well so I normally make a big batch and then freeze the leftover in a few single serve containers for lunches or dinners later on.

Pumpkin is incredibly rich in vital anti-oxidants and vitamins. This humble backyard vegetable is very low in calories yet a good source of vitamin A, flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants like leutin, xanthins and carotenes. Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant Lycopene which, together with carotenoids, it has the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful oxygen free radicals. Studies have shown that lycopene prevents skin damage from ultra-violet (UV) rays and offers protection from skin cancer. They are also a great source of vitamins A, C and potassium.

1/2 pumpkin- peeled, chopped into chunks (I used Kent but whatever you like is fine)
1 sweet potato- washed, skin on, chopped into chunks
6-8 ripe tomatoes, halved
1 L Vege stock for recipe click here
1 onion- chopped roughly
1 tin canellini beans -drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, place tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for about 20-30 mins. Add pumpkin, sweet potato, onion and stock to slow cooker or pot. Stock should just cover the veges, if it doesn’t, top it up with water. Add roasted tomatoes. If slow cookering (is that a word??) just leave it do it’s thing for the day or overnight, if cooking on the stove, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. Once soup has cooked, remove from heat, add drained canellini beans and purée with stick blender until smooth. Serve.