A very quick and tasty soup to make for lunch. You can also use up bacon if you have a couple of rashers in the fridge, rather than the ham which makes it a cheaper option for students.
Serves 2 as main course or 4 as a starter
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon mild olive oil (or butter if you prefer)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
400g frozen peas
400ml chicken stock (made from 1 x Knorr gel stock pot)
200ml milk
100g packet ham hock (cooked, diced ham)
METHOD
- Heat the oil or butter in a large saucepan on low or medium heat, then add the onion and potato, season with salt and pepper, then stir to coat the vegetables in the oil.
- Put a lid on the pan, cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the onions are soft and translucent.
- Make up the stock by adding 1 x gel stock pot to 400ml of boiling water. Add the peas and stock to the pan, then bring to the boil. Cook for a couple of minutes until all of the peas have floated to the top of the stock and are tender and bright.
- Take the pan off the heat. Using a stick blender, process the peas until very smooth. Add the milk and process again.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer, then season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Both the ham and the stock are fairly salty, so you may not need to add salt.
- Stir the ham through the soup and serve.
Approx. cost = £4.50 (this pea soup without ham would be £2.50, so you could consider using up some rashers of bacon. Simply cook off and add at the end in place of the ham)