2 - 3thick slicessourdough breadtrimmed and cut into half-inch cubes
3tablespoonsolive oil
sea saltto taste
Instructions
To make the soup
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover with lid. Sweat the vegetables for for 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in the minced garlic, diced potatoes and carrots, fresh thyme, ground sage, and chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered for 20 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender. Stir in the peas and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree most of the soup, leaving some visible chunks of vegetables. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the croutons
Trim the crust of the bread slices and cut into half-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes, toss well, and cook for 5 to 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Season with sea salt.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with croutons and fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
If you do not have an immersion blender: Transfer batches of soup to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Vent the blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent soup from exploding!
For vegan Irish Vegetable Soup: sauté the vegetables in olive oil, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and canned coconut milk (shake before opening) for the cream, or skip the cream all together.
For Whole30 vegetable soup: substitute olive oil or ghee for the butter and coconut milk for the cream.
For chunkier soup: remove one-third of the vegetables before blending and set aside. Puree the soup, stir in the cream, then return the vegetables to the soup.
To store leftovers: Allow soup to cool completely then place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
To freeze:Allow soup to cool completely then transfer to a zipper-top freezer bag (squeeze out as much air as possible) or airtight container. Lay flat and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Do not overfill your container, the soup will expand as it freezes. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
Place leftover croutons in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 3 days.