Roast Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup

Preheat oven to 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil to prevent sticking.
Pro tip - you can also use parchment paper. Lining the tray makes for easy cleanup.
Clean and cut the sweet potato in half lengthways. Peel, and chop pumpkin in large chunks. Slice onions and leave the garlic skin on.
Pro tip - Use a sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef's knife and be careful as these are tough veggies to cut.
1 lb Pumpkin, 1 lb Sweet potato, 1 cup Onion, 3 cloves Garlic
Place the veggies (pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, and garlic) on the baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip- Do not crowd the baking tray. I used two medium baking trays instead of one.
1 tbsp Olive oil, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Pepper
Roast in the oven for about 40 to 60 mins or until the veggies are soft and tender.
Pro tip - The edges should be slightly caramelized. The onions and garlic will be softer, darker, and caramelized, which is very delicious.
Let the veggies cool for 10 minutes. Then, peel the sweet potato and garlic.
Pro tip - The garlic will be soft, so just squeeze the pulp out instead of peeling. You can also use a spoon to scoop all the flesh away from the sweet potato skin.

Add all veggies to a soup pot or stockpot along with the butter, bay leaves, and stock.
Pro tip - because we roasted everything we do not need to saute the veggies.
2 tbsp Butter, 3 Bay leaves, 2 cups Stock
Place on medium heat and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until it comes to a boil.
Pro tip - The veggies will be very mushy and the soup will be very thick and chunky which is ok.
Remove bay leaves and use a hand mixer to blend everything until smooth
Pro tip - If using a stand blender, cool the soup for a few minutes and be very careful as the hot soup can splash out and cause serious burns.
Next, add the milk or cream and combine well. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary add more water to bring the soup to a soupy consistency.
Pro tip - If using milk do not overheat the soup as it can cause the milk to split. Alternatively, adding 1 tsp of cornstarch to the milk will prevent the milk from splitting.
2 cups Milk
Remove from heat. Serve in soup bowls with toasted croutons or bread. Top with a drizzle of cream or dab of butter.
Pro tip - The soup gets thicker as it cools, so you may need to adjust consistency again before serving by adding a little more hot water.

Ingredients