Pea and pancetta soup, a perfect combination that doesn't fail with the sweetness of the peas combined with rich and salty pops of pancetta. This is a weeknight hero which will come together in under 30 minutes and requires pretty minimal chopping. I like to use the residual pancetta fat to sizzle the veggies so you have the flavour of pancetta throughout the soup plus texturally on top. A little Parmesan at the end adds the bit of creaminess we all crave in a blended soup. The result, served with buttery sourdough, is an instant comfort hit.
Pea & Pancetta Soup
Ingredients
- 100g pancetta, in tiny dice
- 3 shallots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1kg frozen baby peas, defrosted or partially defrosted
- 1L chicken stock
- 150g finely grated Parmesan (Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano)
Method
- In a large pot, cook pancetta over medium-low heat until golden brown.
- Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and add shallots and garlic to the pan.
- Cook until translucent and beginning to brown.
- Add frozen peas and chicken stock and cook until vibrant and tender (1 minute from simmering)
- Blend until smooth with Parmesan (you can use a stick blender but transferring to a proper blender will make it silkier, just make sure your soup isn’t too hot because it will melt the plastic in your blender - been there)
- Taste and season
- Serve topped with pancetta.