In The Kitchen: Spiced Autumn Root Vegetable Soup

Freeze drying fruit and vegetables is the new cool thing in nutrition - this process keeps all the nutrients and goodness in products ensuring you get your 5-a-day.

Majority of us want a healthier everyday diet but sometimes it's hard to stay on top of what you eat - trust me, I know! Nothing But snacks have the perfect solution for everyone and anyone - freeze dried fruit and vegetable snack packs. This freeze drying process allows fruit and vegetable to keep almost all of their natural colour, flavour and goodness meaning you won't find any additives - which is where the name comes from: "Nothing But"! Freeze Drying is quickly becoming very popular and it involves freezing the vegetable or fruit in a pressurised container, allowing the water to escape but without removing any of the natural goodness.

You can enjoy Nothing But freeze dried snack packs on their own, or incorporate them in recipes like the one I've got for you here: a spiced Autumn root vegetable soup.

You will need (serves 4):
- 1 butternut squash
- 3 medium sized potatoes
- 2 beetroots
- 1 small red onion
- A handful of thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika powder
- Olive oil
- A cup of vegetable stock
- Nothing But beetroot and parsnip snack

Peel and cut the butternut squash into rough squares, do the same with the potatoes and beetroots. Quarter the red onion and place all of the vegetables into an oven roasting dish. Add a splash of olive oil, and jiggle the veg around ensuring all of it is covered. Sprinkle on thyme - I prefer to use fresh thyme, but dried will do just fine too - sprinkle on cayenne pepper to taste (I add a teaspoon because I like a bit of kick!) and then finally paprika for a taste of summer. 

Roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes, you want them to be soft when you take them out of the oven. Once the veg are done, place into a blender and add in your vegetable stock - then blitz until a deliciously smooth consistency. 

You're now ready to plate up this rich, spiced Autumn soup - I garnish my masterpiece with crushed Nothing But freeze dried parsnips and some slices of beetroot and parsnip. Serve up straight away with crusty bread and Nothing But freeze dried beetroot and parsnips - this will be the most delicious soup you eat in Autumn.