Chunky Root Vegetable Soup With Cheesy Pesto Toasts Food

CHUNKY ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Pre-warm a slow-cooker (approx. 3L capacity). Peel all your vegetables and cut into small chunks. Make the stock as per instructions.
• Heat up the oil in a deep pan and fry off the onion
• Add a knob of butter and allow the onion to brown before adding the garlic
• Add the carrots, potatoes & parsnips and mix well
• Season with salt, pepper & a very light sprinkle of smoked paprika
• Cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook for a couple of minutes
• Add a good squeeze (approx. 1 tbsp) of honey, stir well and cover again for a couple of minutes
• Once the vegetables have started to soften, transfer to the slow cooker and pour in vegetable stock
• Leave in the slow cooker on a high heat for around 1 hour, until the vegetables are slightly 'Al dente' (If you prefer completely soft veggies, leave for 1.5 hours). Season again with salt & pepper
• Serve with crusty wholewheat bread and a generous sprinkle of cheddar cheese & black pepper in the middle for some rich melted goodness

AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHEESY TOASTS

Steps:

• Put the vegetables into a large saucepan with the garlic, rosemary, stock and sugar. Season well, stir, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
• Preheat the grill to high. Whizz the tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth, then tip into the vegetables with the chickpeas and parsley. Gently heat through, stirring now and then.
• For the toasts: rub both sides of the bread with the garlic. Grill on one side until golden, turn the bread over, cover with edam and grill until it's bubbling. Serve at once with the piping hot soup.