This nutritious, filling soup is a real winter warmer, offering a simple yet gourmet meal. We have used the vegetables listed below, but you could substitute with any leftover vegetables or fresh produce from your vegetable patch. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Shopping List

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped in the Hand Blender
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 80g parsnips, peeled and cubed
• 80g carrots, peeled and cubed
• 80g turnips, peeled and cubed
• 80g butternut squash, quartered and deseeded
• 80g thinly sliced savoy cabbage
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

To garnish:

• A spoonful of creme fraiche
• Drizzle of truffle oil
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme

For the croutons:

• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 6 slices of bread, roughly torn into strips

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic, stirring gently at regular intervals. After ten minutes, the mixture should be sweet, soft, fragrant and lightly coloured.
2. Add the chopped vegetables, vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper. Bubble and simmer until all is tender - this takes about 20-30 minutes. Remove the squash quarters from the mixture, scoop out the contents and place back into the saucepan, discarding the skin.
3. The soup is cooked when the vegetables can be crushed against the side of the pan easily with the back of a spoon. Blend on a low speed with Dualit's Hand Blender until smooth. The anti-suction wand gives you full control of the pan.
4. To make the croutons, place a few leaves of rosemary and thyme in the Hand Blender chopper bowl and chop until fine. Add the oil and the torn bread using the feeding tube and chop until cubed
5. Place the chopped bread on a lined baking tray under the grill on a medium heat for ten minutes until lightly browned.
6. Serve immediately in heated bowls. Top with a creme fraiche swirl, a drizzle of truffle oil, a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme leaves and the croutons.