Ingredients

• 50 ml olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 1 large parsnip, cubed
• 1 small swede (rutabaga), cubed
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 thyme sprigs, plus extra to garnish
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 1.2 litres of vegetable stock
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• sour cream, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Put the olive oil in a large bowl.  Add the prepared vegetables and toss until coated in the oil.
2. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on one large or two small baking sheets.  Tuck the herbs among the vegetables.
3. Roast for 50 minutes until tender turning the vegetables occasionally to ensure they brown evenly.  Remove from the oven, discard the herbs and transfer the vegetables to a large pan.
4. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat, season to taste, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender), and process for a few minutes until think and smooth.
5. Return the soup to the pan to heat through.  Season and garnish with a swirl of sour cream.  Garnish each serving with a sprig of thyme.