It’s winter. The weather has turned, and it is time to put your big coat, wooly hat and gloves on, and try not to get blown away, or even worse, hailed on! Living in the North West of England by the coast means I don’t really like winter as much as I did when I was in the Midlands. We don’t get snow, the coastal breeze is a nightmare, and for some reason we’ve been having hail for three days straight now. What’s up with that?

The cold winter months always make me think of this soup, it’s my go-to recipe every time I feel the chill – I started making this shortly after my coeliac diagnosis when I was in uni, as the veg were on offer, and so it’s a nice cheap meal, not to mention healthier with all the sweet potato in.  The addition of the chilli can also be chilli flakes if you don’t like that much spice, or you can use black pepper if you wish. You can’t really go wrong.
So check out my recipe below!

Spicy Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Soup (Gluten free & vegan)

• Servings: 6
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Credit: thecoeliacsloth.com

Ingredients

• 2 Sweet Potatoes, Cubed
• 2 Red Peppers, chopped.
• 1 large red chilli, Finely Chopped.
• 1 Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 Crushed Garlic clove
• 1tsp Oregano
• 1tsp Basil
• 1 can Chopped Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 500ml Hot Water
• 1tbsp Olive Oil

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil, and fry the garlic for a few minutes, try not to burn it.
2. Add in the onions and peppers and cook in the saucepan until soft.
3. Sprinkle in the herbs, mix well, and then pour in the hot water.
4. Add the sweet potato chunks, and simmer the pan until they’re tender.
5. Pour in the canned tomatoes, and mix in the tomato puree.
6. Sprinkle in as much of the red chilli as you desire.
7. Mix the soup well and leave to simmer for around 10-15 mins.
8. Leave to cool, and either whizz in a blender, or use a hand blender to blend it all together. If you prefer a chunkier soup, only blend for a few seconds at a time. If you prefer smooth, blend for longer.
9. Serve with some lovely gluten free bread, and enjoy your hot soup. Best served on a wintry day!