Ham and Pea Soup

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 oz - butter

1 - onion

1 clove - garlic

2 tablespoons - plain flour (all purpose flour)

3 pints - ham stock (from a stock cube)

¾ pint - milk

1 lb - frozen peas

  - salt and pepper

½ lb - cooked ham

2 sprigs - parsley

Directions

1. Peel and chop the onion, peel and finely chop the garlic and dice the ham into cubes about ½" - 1" (1cm - 2cm) across. Heat the butter in a pan and sweat the onion and garlic for 5 minutes at low heat. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes stirring regularly (don't allow the flour to brown).
2. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring continuously, then add the milk. Bring to the boil, add the peas and cook for no more than 5 minutes. Purée the mixture in a blender. (Do not overfill the blender more than half way, so it will be necessary to blend in batches).
3. Return the soup to a clean pan. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the ham and warm through (about three of four minutes). Purée again and sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over each serving. Serve with buttered bread toasted in the oven.