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You will also need:
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1. A small pot of salted water.
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2. A small bowl of ice water.
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3. A large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid.
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4. A round of waxed paper cut to the diameter of the large pot.
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5. A food processor or blender.
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6. A large bowl.
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7. A large sieve or strainer.
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8. A small bowl for the bread souffle batter.
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9. A wide, flat-bottomed pan for frying the bread souffles.
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10. A plate lined with a paper towel.
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A timing note: The sugar snap pea garnish and soup may be made several hours in advance and reheated. The bread souffle batter may be made in advance, too, and quickly fried just before serving the soup.
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Preparing the sugar snap pea garnish:
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1. Remove 16 sugar snap pea pods from the total amount. Place the small bowl of ice water nearby. Bring the small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the baking soda and the 16 pea pods. Blanch for 30 seconds. Drain the water off of the peas and put them in the ice water. As soon as the peas are cool, remove them from the water and set them aside, wrapped up in a dish towel.
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Making the soup:
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1. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, potatoes, bay leaf and thyme. Cover the vegetables with the waxed paper round, place the lid on the pot and cook the vegetables over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to soften and are just beginning to turn golden around the edges.
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2. Remove the round of waxed paper. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 15 minutes more, or until the vegetables are completely tender.
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3. Add the remaining pound of sugar snap peas (not the blanched ones) and simmer for 3 minutes longer.
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4. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup in batches (using a regular blender, or if you have one you can use a stick blender), transferring each pureed amount to the large bowl.
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5. Wash out the pot and strain the puree back into it, pressing down hard on the solids as the soup goes through the sieve.
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6. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper. Keep warm if you are going to serve it immediately.
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Making the little bread souffles:
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1. In a blender or food processor, blend together the bread crumbs, thyme and garlic.
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2. Transfer the mixture to the small bowl and stir in the eggs. Set the mixture aside, covered until you are ready to fry it into souffles, right before serving the soup.
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3. Heat the fat or oil in the pan over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking.
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4. Drop the batter by teaspoons into the fat and fry them for about 1 minute total, turning them when the first side is golden and briefly cooking them on the second side. They will rapidly puff and brown. Remove them from the pan with a spatula or slotted spoon. Drain them briefly on a paper towel.
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Serving the soup:
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1. Reheat the soup and divide it among bowls.
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2. Float a few little souffles in each bowl and garnish every bowl with a couple of the reserved, blanched sugar snap peas.
