Sweet potato and red pepper soup

Enough for four:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 red pepper (cored, seeded and roughly chopped)
• 500g sweet potato (peeled and sliced)
• 750ml water
• 1 heaped tsp of vegetable stock powder
• freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Lower the heat and add the onion, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cummin and cook for a further two minutes. Then add the red pepper and the sweet potato.  Cook for a further five minutes, then add the water and the stock powder. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat, Blend with a hand blender (or liquidise) and add black pepper and lemon juice to taste

Serve with croutons (two slices of wholemeal bread cubed, mixed with 2 tbsp of oil, grilled on a baking sheet, turning over occasionally).