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Pea and chervil soup with pancetta
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 700g frozen peas
- 1 litre good-quality chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 bunch chervil
- 50g pancetta, sliced
- 2tbsp crème fraîche or soured cream
- extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Method
Put a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and fry for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the peas, pour in the broth, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add most of the chervil to the pan, reserving a handful, and purée with a handheld blender until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C F/Gas 6. Arrange the pancetta slices over a baking sheet and put in the oven for 3 minutes. Turn over and return to the oven for another 1 minute or until crispy.
Ladle the chilled soup into bowls, crumble the crispy pancetta over, add a dollop of crème fraîche, a drizzle of olive oil, and the reserved chervil leaves. If you like, add a few ice cubes to make it extra cooling.
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