EVERYDAY BUTTER BEAN, CARROT AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

On the days when you’re tired, lacking in motivation and not wanting to cook, this soup is your best friend. Essentially it cooks itself; there’s just five minutes of prep at the start. It’s deliciously smooth and creamy, packed with goodness and wonderfully nourishing. The leftovers freeze brilliantly or make a great quick lunch the next day.

SERVES 4 TIME

30 minutes

★ 600ml vegetable stock

★ 400ml tin of coconut milk

★ 2 large sweet potatoes (about 500g), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

★ 3 carrots (about 200g), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

★ 400g tin of butter beans, drained

★ 2 garlic cloves, sliced

★ 1 onion, roughly chopped

★ 1 red chilli, halved and deseeded

★ 4 tbsp coconut yogurt

★ sea salt and black pepper

★ crusty bread, to serve

1 Put the stock and coconut milk in a large saucepan over a medium heat, bring to the boil then add the sweet potatoes, carrots, butter beans, garlic, onion and half the chilli. Put the lid on, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until everything is soft.

2 Either use a stick blender or transfer the soup to a normal blender (make sure it’s not boiling as that can damage the blender) and blitz until smooth, seasoning with salt and lots of pepper.

3 Finely slice the other chilli half then spoon the soup into bowls, swirl through the coconut yogurt, sprinkle over the red chilli slices and add a little salt, along with a big crack of pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

TIP You can swap the sweet potato for more carrots, pumpkin or any variety of squash depending on what you have in the fridge.