Spinach, pea and shallots soup

The thick base of a clay pot makes it ideal for the slow cooking of vegetables.

The heat is distributed evenly thereby allowing the different flavours to be released and combined. If you have never used one before, try cooking this soup in your tierra negra pot; you will discover just how easy clay pot cooking can be, and the delicious results.

At our home we tend to eat sweet peas mainly as a side dish but recently, this soup has proven to be a favourite as it is refreshing, quick to make and has a fine sweet flavour. For a bit of a smoky flavour we have sautéd some pancetta cubes which we use as garnish before serving.

We have used frozen peas as they are readily available. Remember to defrost the peas thoroughly. This will not take long and can also be achieved by rinsing the frozen peas under the tap. It is important to remember when cooking with clay pots that extreme changes of temperature can cause a pot to crack, so don’t be tempted to add the frozen peas into the boiling hot clay pot.

Cooking time: 25 min.
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

500g frozen peas (thawed)
200g fresh baby spinach
3 large echalion shallots, or about 200g
2 sticks of celery
1 medium sized potato
2 cloves of garlic
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil
A few sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper
100g pancetta cubes (for garnishing) Omit for a vegetarian option.

Set the peas aside to thaw, rinse and chop the medium potato, celery and onions.

Heat the cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta cubes and sauté for a few minutes until crisp. Stir constantly to prevent any food from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Remove the crisp pancetta to a plate and use later for garnishing.

Add oil to the already heated pot, then simply throw all vegetables into the clay pot. Mix well, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. This slow method of cooking allow the flavours to combine and intensify.

Pour in about 750ml stock, adding more if needed. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked. Turn the heat off. Puree, garnish and serve.

Cooked on the hob using a tierra negra CL 223 cooking pot.