Creamy spring soup with goat's cheese & prosciutto toasts

• olive or rapeseed oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• onion↗1

  chopped

• fennel bulb↗1

  chopped

• asparagus↗200g g

  woody ends and all, roughly chopped (save the pretty tips for another recipe, if you like)

• garlic cloves↗2

  crushed

• fennel seeds1 tsp tsp
• vegetable stock↗1.2l l
• frozen peas↗450g g
• bag watercress↗100g g

  reserve some small leaves for the toasts

• parsley↗small bunch

  roughly chopped

• mint↗small bunch

  leaves picked and roughly chopped (or buy 1 large bunch and use half in the pesto, if making)

• double cream↗100ml ml
• large ciabatta↗1

  thickly sliced on an angle

• extra virgin olive or rapeseed oildrizzle of

  plus extra for serving

• fat garlic clove↗1

  squashed

• pack soft goat's cheese↗150g
• slices prosciutto↗6
• pesto↗200g

  see recipe in tips or buy a good-quality fresh one

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and fennel and fry gently for 10 mins or until softened but not coloured. Add the asparagus, garlic and fennel seeds and stir everything around in the pan for another 1-2 mins. Pour in the vegetable stock, season, and cover with a lid. Leave on a gentle simmer (but for no longer than 5 mins) while you prepare the toasts.

2. 2

   Heat the grill. Put the ciabatta slices on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil. Pop the bread under the grill for 2-3 mins each side or until golden and crisp. Remove the toasts and rub the garlic clove over each piece of toast.

3. 3

   Add the peas to the soup, bubble for 1 min to defrost the peas, then remove the pan from the heat and add most of the watercress, the herbs and the double cream. Use a hand blender to blitz it to a smooth, creamy consistency. Check the seasoning - you will need to be quite generous.

4. 4

   Spread each piece of toast with a little goat's cheese, then top with a slice of ruffled prosciutto, a dollop of pesto and a few small sprigs of watercress. Finally, drizzle over a little olive oil. Serve the toasts alongside the soup, with a bowl of pesto on the side.