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Green Pea Soup With Pancetta Cream And Soda Bread
1 hour Serves 6

Nutritional Information

Nutrition: 678 cals, 39.8g fat, 22.9g saturates, 10g sugars, 4.6g salt

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Green Pea Soup With Pancetta Cream And Soda Bread

Ingredients

For the soup:

30g butter

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 small potato, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

500g frozen peas

1 tbsp chopped parsley

½ tbsp chopped mint

100ml double cream

Sea salt and black pepper

A little grated nutmeg

 

Pancetta Cream:

15g butter

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

110g pancetta, finely diced

50ml white wine

200ml whipping cream

Sea salt and black pepper

Crispy Pancetta, to garnish

 

For the Soda Bread:

170g self-raising flour

170g plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°/Gas 6

To make the soup; heat the butter in a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, potato and garlic and sweat for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the stock and simmer for 8 minutes until the potato is soft. Add the peas, parsley and mint and cook for a further 5 minutes until the peas are just cooked, add the cream and blend the soup until smooth, season with sea salt, black pepper and a little nutmeg.

To make the pancetta cream; melt the butter over a medium heat and sweat the garlic and shallots for 3-4 minutes until soft, add the pancetta and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring until most of the liquid has reduced, stir in the cream and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring often for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened, season to taste.

Serve the soup in a warm bowl topped with the pancetta cream, crispy pancetta and soda bread.

For the Soda Bread:

To make the soda bread, pour the flours, salt, thyme and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and mix together. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, mixing quickly with a large knife to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead. Form into a large ball and flatten the dough slightly before placing on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cut a cross on the top and bake for approximately 20 - 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack and serve with the soup.

Low-fat Tip: If you can't locate buttermilk use full-fat milk and add the juice of ½ lemon and stir.

Serves 6.

Cooking tips

The less water you use when cooking peas, the less vitamin C is lost. Steaming helps to conserve this vitamin.

When boiling frozen peas, add enough water to cover, bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 3 minutes. To microwave 227 grams (8oz) of frozen peas add 15ml (1 tablespoon) of water, place in a non metallic container and cover. Cook on full power for 4 minutes (750W) or 4 1/2 minutes (650W).