Potage Saint-Germain
In French cooking the name Saint-Germain marks dishes with green peas, and this soup is the classic example. Young peas cooked briefly with leek and a few lettuce leaves, blended until velvety and finished with cream, served with crisp butter croutons. It is vividly green and tastes sweet and fresh. The whole secret is timing: the peas cook only 5 minutes — any longer and they lose colour and sweetness. Frozen peas are as good here as fresh.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Slicing 10 min
- Softening the leek 8 min
- Cooking the peas 10 min
- Blending 10 min
- Croutons 7 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSlice leek and lettuce
Halve the leek lengthwise, rinse out the grit and slice into thin half-moons. Tear the lettuce leaves.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Soften the leek in butter
Melt the butter in a pot, add the leek and lettuce with a pinch of salt and cook covered over low heat 8 minutes, until the leek is soft but not coloured.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Soft, not coloured — the soup stays bright.Cook the peas briefly
Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and add the peas with the sugar. Cook 5 minutes from the return to the boil — no longer, or the peas lose their colour.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Just 5 minutes — the peas stay green.Blend
Set aside 2 tablespoons of peas for garnish. Blend the rest to a smooth cream.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Sieve
For a velvety texture, push the soup through a sieve — the pea skins stay behind. Return it to the pot.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Add the cream
Stir in the cream, heat without boiling and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a little stock or water.
Ingredients: 600 g fresh or frozen green peas · 1 pcs leek, white part · 4 pcs butterhead lettuce leaves · 30 g butter · 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 pinch sugar · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper
Fry the croutons
Cut the bread into 1 cm cubes and fry in the butter, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Ingredients: 60 g white bread · 10 g butter · 8 pcs mint leaves
Golden in butter — they crunch in the soup.Serve
Ladle the soup into bowls and add the reserved peas, croutons and mint leaves. Serve at once.
Ingredients: 60 g white bread · 10 g butter · 8 pcs mint leaves
Before you start
Winter version
In winter the same soup is made with dried green split peas — cook 300 g in about 1.5 litres of stock with leek and carrot until the peas fall apart completely, about an hour. It is thicker and earthier.
Chilled
In hot weather the soup can be served chilled, with a spoonful of crème fraîche instead of cream and extra mint.
Storage
The soup keeps 2 days in the fridge but darkens over time. Keep the croutons separate so they stay crisp.
