Pea and ham soup

Serves: 4

If you're cooking gammon for Christmas, you're likely to have lots of lovely stock left over. Don't throw it out – it's perfect for making this simple and delicious full-flavoured soup.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 1 x 480g pack frozen peas
• 750ml gammon stock
• a small handful of mint leaves
• 50g cooked gammon, shredded, or streaky bacon, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan and briefly fry the shredded gammon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the chopped onions to the pan and cook over a low heat until soft and translucent, stirring regularly.
3. Turn up the heat, and add the peas and gammon stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
4. Take off the heat and transfer half of the soup to a blender with the mint and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth then stir back into the soup in the pan.
5. Serve topped with the shredded gammon or chopped streaky bacon, fried until crisp.

Tip

Serve in small shot glasses at Christmas parties for a canapé with a difference