Ingredients

Method

• 4 T vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 stick celery with leaves , finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 g split green peas
• 1 litre chicken stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 60 g Grana Padano, grated, for serving
• extra virgin olive oil 4 T, for serving
• crusty bread, for serving

Method

Ingredients

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan. Gently sauté the onion, celery and garlic for 8–10 minutes over a medium heat until translucent and the onions are slightly caramelised. Add the split peas and fry for a further few minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in the chicken stock. Simmer for 45 minutes, then check whether the peas have softened. They should be quite soft but have a little bit of bite. Season well and stir once more. Remove from the heat.

3. To serve, ladle the split peas into shallow bowls and dress generously with Grana Padano and a splash of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Cook's note: This bowl of comfort is my dad’s handiwork. He was a huge Ina Paarman fan. When things were good, we would pick a recipe from one of her cookbooks. When things were rough, we would make this. It became one of the recipes I requested most.

Find more soup recipes here.

Photograph: Toby Murphy