5 cups shelled peas

2 - 14 ounce cans chicken broth

2 small heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, torn into small pieces

12 green onions, sliced

3 tablespoons snipped fresh tarragon

1 1/2 - 2 cups half-and-half, light cream, or milk

Salt

Black pepper

6 slices French bread, toasted

2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fresh tarragon sprigs (optional)

In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine peas and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 6 minutes. Add lettuce and green onions. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 4 to 6 minutes more or until peas are tender. If desired, use a slotted spoon to remove 1  /3 cup peas; reserve for garnish. Stir in tarragon. Cool slightly.

Transfer one-fourth of the soup to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth. Repeat with remaining soup, blending or processing one-fourth at a time. Return all of the soup to Dutch oven. Stir in half-and-half to reach desired consistency; heat through. Do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top each serving with a slice of French bread, some prosciutto, and some feta cheese. If desired, garnish each serving with reserved peas and a tarragon sprig. Makes 6 servings (8 cups)

Nutrition facts: Servings Per Recipe 6, Calories 341, Protein (gm) 20, Carbohydrate (gm) 41, Fat, total (gm) 12, Cholesterol (mg) 36, Saturated fat (gm) 6, Monosaturated fat (gm) 2, Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 1, Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 9, Sugar, total (gm) 9, Vitamin A (IU) 1992, Vitamin C (mg) 37, Thiamin (mg) 0, Riboflavin (mg) 0, Niacin (mg) 5, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0, Folate (ug) 145, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (ug) 0, Sodium (mg) 1120, Potassium (mg) 645, Calcium (DV %) 202, Iron (DV %) 4.