Soupe au Verte with Goat Cheese Toasts

To prepare stock, combine the first 7 ingredients in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.

Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare the soup, wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Cook bacon in pan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high; add butter to drippings in pan, and melt. Add 2 cups onion, potato, 1 cup carrot, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine; cook until the wine is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 minutes). Add stock and peas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potato and carrot are tender. Cool slightly. Place half of vegetable mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Process until smooth, scraping sides. Pour pureed vegetable mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable mixture. Strain vegetable mixture through a sieve into pan; discard solids. Stir in half-and-half and chopped mint; cook over medium-low heat until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place fish on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Preheat broiler.

To prepare the toasts, spread butter and goat cheese evenly over bread slices. Place on baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Sprinkle the toasts evenly with 2 teaspoons parsley and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Place 1 fillet in each of 8 shallow soup bowls. Ladle 1 cup soup over each fillet; sprinkle evenly with bacon and 2 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Serve each with 1 toast.