Potage St. Germaine
(A fancy name for green pea and lettuce soup!)
About a year ago one of my yoga student's told me about a soup she made for company. When she told me what was in the soup I had a hard time imagining how amazing and delicious it was going to be. When someone tells you they used two heads of "baby gem" lettuce in a soup it is fairly hard to imagine or believe! Lettuce in a soup?
I have become a huge fan of green soups. We usually have a large container of green soup in the refrigerator. Most of my green soups have been inspired by a woman named Anna Thomas.
See this article on Anna and her personal green soup odyssey :
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/easy_recipes/anna_thomas_green_soup_how_green_soup_became_a_way_of_life
I decided to give the "Potage St. Germaine" a chance. Here is the basic recipe I use. I've made batches and batches of this soup.
1. 1 - 2 onions , fresh spring onions or leeks chopped - at least a full cup or more
2. 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
3. 2 medium heads of chopped baby gem lettuce/ 8 cups or so (you could use romaine or butter lettuce)
4. 2 cups of fresh or frozen green peas
5. 3 - 4 cups of broth or water
6. salt and pepper to taste
Heat 2- 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan with some sea salt. Add the onions or leeks and sauté. I like to keep the heat very low and let the onions cook for a bit of time so they begin to carmelize.
Here are the onions before I added all the green stuff. I know that some of you like to use less oil and that is certainly an option but I find that a solid 2 tablespoons of olive oil really makes the difference in helping this soup's rich flavor.
Add the chopped washed "baby gem" lettuce on top of the onions.
Add the 2 cups of peas and water or broth to just cover all the green.
Bring the pan to a low boil and then turn down the heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the contents into a blender and as much of the liquid as you desire. More liquid will make a thinner soup and less a thicker soup. Blend carefully because the contents are hot - I always use a towel on top of the blender and use the "pulse" button when blending anything hot.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
This is a vibrant delicious smooth rich pea soup. Absolutely delicious! I love it!
I added a small amount of mint infused olive oil to the top of the soup and the mint perked the flavors up even more! I simply washed the fresh mint and added it to the vitamix blender with some olive oil and kept blending until I had the right consistency.
See this article on Anna and her personal green soup odyssey :
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/easy_recipes/anna_thomas_green_soup_how_green_soup_became_a_way_of_life
I decided to give the "Potage St. Germaine" a chance. Here is the basic recipe I use. I've made batches and batches of this soup.
1. 1 - 2 onions , fresh spring onions or leeks chopped - at least a full cup or more
2. 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
3. 2 medium heads of chopped baby gem lettuce/ 8 cups or so (you could use romaine or butter lettuce)
4. 2 cups of fresh or frozen green peas
5. 3 - 4 cups of broth or water
6. salt and pepper to taste
Heat 2- 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan with some sea salt. Add the onions or leeks and sauté. I like to keep the heat very low and let the onions cook for a bit of time so they begin to carmelize.
Here are the onions before I added all the green stuff. I know that some of you like to use less oil and that is certainly an option but I find that a solid 2 tablespoons of olive oil really makes the difference in helping this soup's rich flavor.
Add the chopped washed "baby gem" lettuce on top of the onions.
Add the 2 cups of peas and water or broth to just cover all the green.
Bring the pan to a low boil and then turn down the heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the contents into a blender and as much of the liquid as you desire. More liquid will make a thinner soup and less a thicker soup. Blend carefully because the contents are hot - I always use a towel on top of the blender and use the "pulse" button when blending anything hot.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
This is a vibrant delicious smooth rich pea soup. Absolutely delicious! I love it!
I added a small amount of mint infused olive oil to the top of the soup and the mint perked the flavors up even more! I simply washed the fresh mint and added it to the vitamix blender with some olive oil and kept blending until I had the right consistency.
I served this batch of Potage St. Germaine as the first course in a vegan dinner party I threw for some special friends the other night. We had a fresh spring roll with spicy peanut sauce and the delicious vibrant Potage St. Germaine.
Where does one buy Baby Gem lettuce? I buy mine at the local Farmer's Market. I have never seen it at a local grocery and I have amazing grocery stores where I live.
Eat and Enjoy. It's really easy to make!
I remember the first time you made this for me. I was so amazed by the simplicity and deliciousness of this soup. I love the idea of mint olive oil. I plan to try it with my next batch. I have used any butter lettuce with great results. We have it as a main course with crusty bread and cheese ( hummus or non-dairy spreads) and salad !! I am also happy with how easy and quick this is to make.
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