Pea and bacon soup

I boil a bacon joint fairly regularly and it is worth buying a slightly larger piece of meat just in order to make this soup. It’s an ancient pairing of flavours and, though I prefer green peas, you could more authentically use the same quantity of cooked split peas or even lentils. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently, covered, for 5-7 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the bay leaf, peas and ham and cover with the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5-7 minutes, until the peas are really tender. Check the seasoning (ham is salty, so be careful before adding more) and add cream to taste. Scatter some chopped fried bacon on top. Delicious combination of meat soups

• For these variations, cook raw vegetables right at the beginning with the onion and add the meat only when they are completely cooked through. If you are using up leftover cooked vegetables, add them to the liquid once it has reached simmering point, along with the leftover meat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until all the ingredients are thoroughly heated.
• Chicken, leek and mushroom Replace the onion and bay leaf with some finely sliced leeks and a little chopped garlic, rosemary or thyme. Add some sliced mushrooms. Once these are cooked, add half a cup of milk with the water or stock and, when it is simmering, add strips of leftover chicken and simmer until thoroughly heated through. A squeeze of lemon and some fine strips of lemon zest added at the end will brighten it up, or scatter over some chopped tarragon, parsley or basil.
• Chicken or pork (roast, boiled or even sausages) These go well with lentils or chickpeas (canned ones are fine). Add a good handful of chopped parsley at the end. If you have a few tomatoes lying around, skin, deseed and chop them and add them to the soup with the meat.
• Ham or pork (including sausages) Both taste good with strong green vegetables. Add a couple of crushed garlic cloves to the onion base and use any member of the cabbage family, shredded finely. When cooked, add the meat. Shredded fennel is a summer alternative.
• Lamb and pulses Lamb is delicious with butterbeans, cannellini beans, chickpeas or even frozen broad beans. A teaspoon of harissa from a tube can be stirred into the onion base before adding the meat and beans. Serve with a little chopped fresh coriander or parsley.
• Beef with root vegetables Beef is a natural partner for sweet root vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, celeriac and carrots. Tomatoes (skinned and chopped) will add a tangy sweetness.
• Beef with summer vegetables Try a base of softened leeks and celery, adding diced raw courgettes and even aubergine, and then the stock. Add strips of leftover beef to warm through. A teaspoon of paprika, ground cumin or ground coriander would be nice added at the start.
• Christmas leftover soup Because there is so much to play with – turkey or duck, the end of a ham, roast parsnips and potatoes, a bit of bacon or sausage, green vegetables and stuffings – you can do away with the onion/carrot/celery base, and use cold water instead of stock. Even the last of the bread sauce or cranberry sauce can go into the pot. Blitz and serve with finely sliced spring onions or chopped coriander leaves.