Recipes › Onion (Salad/Spring) › Spring Onion and Potato Soup with Crispy Pancetta
Spring Onion and Potato Soup with Crispy Pancetta
A proper bowlful that treats spring onions as the main event rather than an afterthought. Three bunches go in — some softened slowly in butter for depth, some stirred in at the end for freshness and colour. The crispy pancetta on top is good enough to eat on its own.
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Ingredients
- 3 bunch spring onions, roots trimmed, white and green parts separated, roughly chopped
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 600 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunksMaris Piper or King Edward work best
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1200 ml vegetable stockor chicken stock
- 100 ml double cream
- 120 g pancetta lardonsor smoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
Contains: milk, cereals gluten.
Method
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the white parts of the spring onions and the garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not coloured.About 8 min
- Add the potato chunks and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.About 22 min
- While the soup simmers, fry the pancetta lardons in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.About 6 min
- Remove the soup from the heat. Add the green parts of the spring onions, reserving a small handful for garnish. Use a stick blender to blitz the soup until completely smooth. Stir in the double cream.About 2 min
- Return the pan to a low heat and warm the soup through for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.About 2 min
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the crispy pancetta, a few of the reserved raw green spring onion tops, and a small drizzle of cream if you like.
Tips
- Keeping the heat low when you sweat the white parts of the spring onions is the single most important step — browning them here will muddy the finished colour and give a bitter note.
- If the soup feels too thick after blending, loosen it with a splash of hot water or extra stock before serving.
- Use the green tops added just before blending generously — they are what gives the soup its vivid green colour.
Ring the changes
- For a vegan version, swap the butter for olive oil, omit the pancetta and cream, and finish with a swirl of good extra-virgin olive oil and some toasted pumpkin seeds instead.
- Watercress or baby spinach can be added along with the green spring onion tops for an even more vibrant colour and a slightly peppery depth.
Keeping it
Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob — do not boil after the cream has been added. Freezes well before the cream is added; stir in the cream after reheating from frozen.
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