Pea and Asparagus Soup with Tarragon Breadcrumbs

1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 medium onion, diced roughly

1 large clove of garlic, sliced

400g asparagus, tough ends removed and roughly chopped

400g frozen peas

400ml chicken or vegetable stock

400ml almond milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

20g tarragon, chopped finely (about 9-10 sprigs)

100g leftover soda bread, or whatever bread you have, blitzed into rough breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed or olive oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic on medium heat for about 10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelise. They will start to take on a little bit of colour.
2. Add the frozen peas, asparagus and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the almond milk and cook for a further minute before removing from the heat.
3. While the soup is cooking, make the breadcrumb topping. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan until hot and starting to give off a little smoke. Throw in the breadcrumbs – they will sizzle and splat a little bit. Quickly stir and continue to do so until the crumbs are nice and crispy. They will darken in colour, and you will hear them start to crunch underneath your wooden spoon or spatula. Remove from the heat and cool for a moment before adding the tarragon. Stir together and season to taste. Set aside until needed.
4. Using a hand held stick blender, blitz the soup. Even when all the ingredients look to be blended, carry on blitzing for a few more minutes to achieve a really smooth texture.
5. Serve in shallow soup bowls if you have them, using half of the breadcrumbs to garnish. Serve the remaining breadcrumbs in a small dish for people to top up as they eat their soup.