Roasted Carrot, Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
450g carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
450g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
2 onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
3 tablespoons salt and pepper
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 220C . Divide the squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle 1 tbsp salt & pepper over each baking sheet; toss the vegetables to coat. Roast until lightly browned, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, about 25 minutes. In a large saucepan, combine the roasted vegetables and 8 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Using a blender and working in batches, puree the soup, transferring pureed portions to a clean pot; season with salt and pepper. (The soup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.) In a heavy, medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp salt and pepper over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and stir until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and sage and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper. Stir the soup over medium heat until it simmers. Ladle the soup into bowls; top with the pumpkin-cranberry mixture and a sprinkling of pepper.

Healthy Ingredients - Vitamin A

Beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A that gives carrots their orange hue, helps the retina and other parts of the eye to function smoothly. Vitamin A helps the eye convert light into a signal that can be transmitted to the brain, allowing people to see under conditions of low light.