Potage St Germain (Split Pea Soup): Cookbook Challenge Soup

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Split Pea and Pea SoupTheme: Soup
Recipe: Potage St Germain
Cookbook: The Australian Women’s Weekly Essential Soup Cookbook

As I mentioned earlier, part of the reason I accepted my mother’s strict finger-waggling decree to not cancel my Brisbane trip was that I planned to come back and spend Sunday cooking for her, my father, and my grandmother, in order to make their lives easier amidst the hospital tumultuousness.

Never one to renege on a promise, I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning (after arriving back in Canberra on Saturday), ate some delicious breakfast, patted my hairdresser-straightened hair goodbye whilst showering, sighed over the return of the curls, hopped in the car, stopped at Woolies, and then proceeded to let myself into my parents’ house and take over their kitchen.

Potage st germainI’m a good daughter like that.

I’d actually forgotten how meditative long, slow, methodical hours of cooking can be, and how creating several varieties of soup all at once can make you believe that an emerald-green diadem of domestic princessdom is hovering above your head.

The imaginary diadem was, of course, emerald-green in honour of the glorious shining colour of this vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and splendiferously healthy Potage St Germain. I delivered the soup to my Fairy Grandmother along with a fresh bunch of mint, so that there would always (well, until it ran out) be a nourishing, warming, delicious, restorative, and fragrant meal awaiting her in her kitchen.

Cookbook Challenge LogoI love this soup. I used to make it frequently when I was a teenager, but haven’t done so in years. I promise you that I shan’t be making that mistake again for, despite the humble ingredient list, this pea soup is nothing but delectable. (Unless you hate peas.)

Just in case you don’t believe me, here are my grandmother’s words regarding the soup, as emailed to me last night:

Soup, glorious soup! Comfort food of the highest degree: it was delicious and I have enjoyed it two nights in a row with enough for three more meals.

What more can I say?

Vegan Split Pea Soup

Potage St Germain

From The Australian Women’s Weekly Essential Soup Cookbook
Find other entries in The Cookbook Challenge’s Soup theme here
I’m also entering this in Ricki’s August 11-15 Wellness Weekend, because I can.

  • 2 cups green split peas (400g)
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 tb olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion (200g), chopped coarsely
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 trimmed sticks celery (150g), chopped coarsely
  • 1.25 litres chicken stock, or vegetable stock for the vegan version
  • 500g frozen peas
  1. Soak split peas in the water in a large bowl for 3 hours or overnight.
  2. Heat oil in large saucepan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is soft. Stir in celery; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
  3. Add undrained peas and stock, bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour or until peas are tender (skimming the surface and stirring occasionally). Stir in frozen peas; cook, stirring, about 10 minutes of until peas are tender.
  4. Blend or process soup, in batched, until pureed (I just used a stick blender directly in the pot). The recipe also says to push the soup through a large sieve, but you know what? Bollocks to that. I don’t mind a bit of texture in my soup. Can be made ahead to this stage; cover and refrigerate overnight or freeze.
  5. Just before serving, stir over heat until hot. If you like, serve with mint or another garnish of your choosing.

80 thoughts on “Potage St Germain (Split Pea Soup): Cookbook Challenge Soup”

  4. looks lovely – green enough to brighten any day! and a very good colour as green is the colour of hope! I always use yellow split peas in my pea soup but I now want green split peas and frozen peas so I can have green pea soup

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  5. looks lovely – green enough to brighten any day! and a very good colour as green is the colour of hope! I always use yellow split peas in my pea soup but I now want green split peas and frozen peas so I can have green pea soup with a fancy french name

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    • I have a billion green split peas now if you want to borrow some, Johanna! There was a sale at Woolies :P Also, gotta love the fancy French names!

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    • Hahaha! Oh, thank you for putting a positive spin on the bubble! I didn’t see it when taking the photos and have been annoyed ever since! :P

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    • Ah, see, my grandmother and mother are allergic to ham, so that was out for us! It’s a bit amazing but this soup truly does taste delicious without it.

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  9. For one of my first almost-sort-of-but-I’m-too-shy-to-admit-anything dates with my boyfriend (the first where I felt nervous and shy, anyway), he made us a delightful pea soup and amazing grilled sandwiches. I had been outside on a dripping wet, cold field trip all day long and it was such the perfect ending to a crummy chilly day in the woods. People across the world appreciate the gesture of a good pea soup!

    I mention this because I know some of us here profess our interest in finding a man. I’m just sayin’ – it’s not too late to go into the soup business! It worked on me;)

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  14. You are good. Not only is soup cheering in general, but who could gaze into that calming greenness and not feel a little relaxed?

    I, uh, had to google diadem. How did I not know this word? It sounds like the sort of thing I’d like to talk about lots.

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    • Laura, I think you should change your name by deed poll to have Diadem as your middle name :) Sparkly and happy-making, that’s you for sure!

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  15. I love the color of split pea soup, but the taste and texture are usually not my friends. :) Also, I had carob today in a meal-replacement protein bar thing and it was deeeelicious. I totally thought of you as I was eating it.

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    • Teehee! That makes my day! I truly don’t think you can taste the split peas here, but you’d probably have to like normal peas too :)

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  17. Note to self: fingers too fat to post from iPhone. This looks real pretty, is what I was trying to say. And while I appreciate the healthfulness of it, I couldnt help but fistpump at Emma’s toasted sandwich pairing. I’d even go as far as toasted ham and gruyere on sourdough alongside this.

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  22. LOVE the photo of your soup! I can’t seem to get any good photo’s inside our current house.. it’s soooo dark and begs for a skylight or two.. (but we rent). So I take my piccie’s outside on a green-slatted outdoor table mostly. So your brown planks/slats.. (whatever!) made me wonder if you had your soup on a brown, outdoor table? I love soups with pulses.

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    • Thank you Maria!! I, too, struggle with taking photos in my apartment, as there’s nowhere with good light and no outside area (except the parking lot three floors down) for me to go. This photo, you see, was taken at my parents’ place…. on their brown, outdoor table. Bravo, Sherlock, bravo! :D

      P.S. Dear me, I initially read your last sentence as “I love soup which pulses”. Heavens!

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  23. The mint is brilliant – I’ve always used parsley as a soup garnish but this really adds a zing. And – tonight I stirred in some soy milk which was delish too, so I might try that again with my next bowl. It is a very sustaining meal and a great standby just now.

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    • Grandma, you’re a genius! Some soy milk to make it creamier is a fantastic idea. Now I can see where Diana got it all from :) xoxo

      P.S. I’m going to have to make myself a large batch now just so I can try that.

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  27. Sooo… not only have I never made split pea soup, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never even tasted it. But I like peas so I feel like I would probably like it!

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  28. I love split pea soup (or potage)! And yes, you certainly do sound like a very good daughter. ;) Thanks for submitting this to Wellness Weekend–sorry about the link glitch! All better now, so please do link up. :)

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  29. I do love soup. It’s well known. I love green soups. Especially brilliant green ones like this. It’s perhaps the most cheering colour. Possibly even more than pumpkiny orange! Split peas aren’t my favourite ingredient I must say. Although call something Potage St Germain, and memories of Paris start flooding the senses and I go all funny. And this does freshen them up with fresh peas which are altogether more pleasing and take away the dishwater colour of split peas. I was toying with what soup to make today. If I can swing by the supermarket before I go to the circus this afternoon then I could fit this in. And I learnt a new word! Diadem. Fabulous word.

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  30. God I wish i was eating that right now instead of the pale (kinda streaky) green zucchini soup I’ve got going on over here. I’ll just keep looking at this picture while eat.

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  33. YUM. After I convert all the measurements (ha!), I will make this for my hubby. Looks delicious. Hmm… now where does one find split peas in the grocery store?

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    • Teehee! let me have a go off the top of my head… 400g of split peas would be one pound minus two ounces, our tablespoons are 20ml so 1 tb + 1 tsp for you, the onion is about half a pound, the celery is 5.5 ounces, and I have NO idea how to convert litres ;)

      Also, if you follow my lead, you find split peas in the grocery store by asking someone who works there :P

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    • It’s all grand! And it’s all green! I think we’ve finally found the place where we belong!

      P.S. Just a head’s up for Sunday, I’m prone to breaking out into Broadway songs in person as well as on my blog ;)

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    • You got there in the end, and that’s all that matters :) Oh, so hard to resist bombarding you with other quotes from musicals now! :D

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  38. I came across your recipe while attempting to refresh my crusty old memory.
    Le Potage Saint Germain! What a gem. Sometimes, and unfairly, thought of as yet another pea soup recipe.
    Let the Philistines believe what they wish. We know better.

    Now, I know that I’ve only just showed up here and I don’t wish to be arrogant or over bearing, but, you see, I really can’t help myself.
    Anyway, the passing on of food knowledge is a sacrament and all who partake are, naturally, forgiven their sins.
    So I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I offer you a slight correction to the above recipe.
    (BTW, Australian Women’s Weekly? Really? How ghastly!)

    From the archives of Auguste Escoffier, the Grandfather of modern French cuisine, I offer you the following alterations for Potage Saint Germain.
    1/.Get rid of the celery and replace it with green lettuce leaves.
    2/. Get rid of the brown onion and replace it with the greens of leek. And…
    3/. add 150 grams of butter to the mix.

    I know it’s naughty, but you’ll thank me one day.

    Cheers,
    Marek

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    • I’m thanking you already, Marek, for not only are your (via Escoffier, or Escoffier’s via you) recipe amendments happily received (150g butter? Oh yes, I can see how that would take this Potage to another level), but your comment in its entirety made me laugh.

      We’ll have to put my brother in with those Philistines, unfortunately. He still gets upset remembering the night, ten years ago now, when he arrived home soaking wet after walking home from a long day at uni then work, to find what he called “green sludge” on the stove for dinner.

      I think 150g of butter might’ve softened the blow for him. ;)

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