Clear-the-decks soup

Tonight, I've eaten leftover turkey burgers and bubble and squeak (see previous post), but bubbling away on the stove is something for tomorrow, and for my freezer (supposing it freezes ok, which it might not -- expect an edit further down the line). I'm making 'Clear-the-decks soup' - what I make if I've got things going off in the fridge that won't last another night.

Tonight's recipe is this:
1 pack of diced onions (from the day before yesterday's yellow-sticker excitement)
2 leeks, sliced
2 medium-sized swedes, diced
1 butternut squash, diced
1 tbsp garlic puree
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
Cayenne pepper to taste
About 900ml chicken stock
Black pepper.

Use a big pot for this one!

I cooked the spices and garlic puree gently together for a few moments before stirring in the onions and leeks and cooking them on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to stop the garlic burning.

I added the squash and swedes and stirred them into the leek/onion mix, cooking them for another 10-15 minutes, again stirring frequently.

Once they had cooked for a while, I added in the stock (I use the knorr jelly pots) and left it to it. It's simmering away nicely now, but the veg is taking its time to soften.

I've just tasted it again, and it's got a lovely light, zingy flavour, but there's a little too much swede in there for me (I put as much as I did in because they were 25p each and needed a home). To counter that, I've put in another stock pot, and will be throwing in a bit of extra cayenne pepper (my favourite spice of all).

I'm still in two minds about what to do with it once it's cooked through; I know that I'm going to blitz the soup down and try to get it smooth, but then I might add some milk to give it a velvety consistency. Not sure yet.

When it's done, I'll shred some curly cale (another bargain), and cook that through it for a few minutes (I love the bitter greenness of it with the sweetness of the root vegetables).

I'll edit this post once I've had a bit of a play with the final product. For now, I need to keep an eye on it and probably get it off the heat soon.

I'd like to know what sort of soups other people make when they're clearing the decks - if you've got one to share, add it as a comment :)