Pea and Bacon Soup

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the humble pea.  Can't stand them as a side dish, but love them as an ingredient, as in this soup, which has the most wonderful colour, and just enough meat with the addition of the bacon to remind me of my other favourite pea related meal - Pork Pies with mushy peas.  (Preferably eaten standing next to a bonfire with the smell of fireworks in the air)


Ingredients
650g frozen garden peas
1l stock - chicken or vegetable
1 tbsp oil
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
6 rashers streaky bacon

Method
1. Cook the  onion over a medium heat until soft but not too brown (about 5-6 mins) then add the garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

2. Stir in three quarters of the peas then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 mins.

3. Heat up the grill and cook the bacon until nice and crispy

4. Add 2 or 3 rashers of bacon to the soup and then blend in the processor until smooth.  At this point, you might want to pass the soup through a sieve to get rid of any lumps and to avoid the soup having the consistency of mushy peas - this can take a while, pushing it through the sieve with the back of a wooden spoon, but it's worth it.  Return the soup to the pan and add the peas that are left and simmer until the peas are tender. Season with salt and pepper and then serve.

5. Garnish the bowls with the remaining bacon, chopped or broken into small pieces.  Enjoy!