Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint-Germain)

Known as “Potage Saint-Germain”, this Split Pea Bacon Soup is a staple French recipe that combines earthy green split peas with vegetables, pureed until smooth, and topped with crispy bacon for good smoky flavor. This is an easy and affordable soup to make. It’s thick, creamy and very satisfying. Another classic recipe for your French repertoire – it will surely be a family favorite.

The origin of Potage Saint-Germain

The story goes that the recipe of “Potage Saint-Germain” was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a small town in the western suburbs of Paris, known for its royal Saint Germain Castle. In the 18^TH century, this rural town became a new homebase for many Parisian bourgeois families, longing for a quieter life outside of Paris. With vast vegetable crops and pig farms, Saint-Germain-en-Laye had a strong farming tradition and hosted large farmers markets for locals to enjoy the local products – amongst which, peas and ham the most produced as well as beloved ones.

Marrying two local specialties – peas and ham – Potage Saint-Germain quickly became a popular soup to make amongst locals. But it was initially only made with fresh green peas, harvested in the Spring. So, some decided to use split peas in the Fall and Winter, in order to make and enjoy this delicious soup year round.

Nowadays, both versions of Potage Saint-Germain– made with fresh peas in the Spring and green split peas in the Fall/Winter – are French classics. As cooler days are right around the corner, today’s recipe focuses on the Winter version of Potage Saint-Germain, made with split peas, onion, carrot, celery, crispy bacon for good measure – and a dollop of crème fraiche (my own personal touch).

Split peas

Known in French as “pois cassés”, split peas belong to the family of “légumes secs” or “légumineuses” (legumes). They can  be found in most grocery stores, sold in large bags next to lentils and soup mixes. Look for split peas that have a use-by date on the package, and choose some that are relatively fresh.

Split peas are affordable and easy to store in an airtight container, away from light (ie. in a cupboard). They taste earthy, are rich in fibers, a great plant-based protein, and make for amazingly creamy soups when cooked and pureed.

Bacon strips – also known as “lardons” 

Potage Saint-Germain traditionally contains cured pork belly, which is very common to find in France, in the form of “lardons”: short, thin strips that are sold pre-sliced and ready to cook. To make your own, find thick-cut bacon or regular bacon and slice it across the grain into short, ¼-inch thick matchsticks. 

How to store this Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint-Germain) 

After making (and enjoying) this soup – if you have any leftovers – you can store it in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

• In the refrigerator: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat your soup portions on the stovetop or in the microwave. Note: this soup thickens significantly while cooling down to room temperature; it will almost reach the texture of a mash. The soup will thin out again when re-heated, but you will likely need to add in a few extra splashes of water or heavy cream to reach your desired soup texture.
• In the freezer: store it in a (freezer-friendly) airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the soup thaw in the fridge before heating it through on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir a few splashes of water or heavy cream to reach your desired soup texture.

Cooking notes:

• The split peas need to soak in water for 1 hour before; so plan accordingly.
• 200g bacon/4 strips is enough (in my opinion) to garnish 4 bowls of soup. But if you want to use less/more bacon, this is fine. Simply make sure you only leave about 1 tbsp (15ml) of rendered bacon fat in your pot before stirring in the vegetables.
• For serving, I love to top each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche before sprinkling the bacon bits on top – but this is optional. You can substitute the crème fraiche for heavy cream, or half-and-half. 
• This recipe requires the use of a food mill, immersion hand blender or regular blender.
• This recipes serves 4 medium soup bowls or 6 small bowls. 

I hope you’ll love this Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint-Germain) as much as I do! I love its thick and creamy texture, the earthy flavor of split pears along with the smokiness and saltiness of the crispy bacon. This soup is be enjoyed warm, as a starter or as a light dinner.

Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint-Germain)

Print Recipe

Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 13 minutes 1 hour 13 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) dried green split peas
200g bacon (4 stripes/4 ounces), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly diced
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs dried thyme
1.5 liter (6 cups) chicken stock
Crème fraiche, for serving

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the split peas. One hour before, place the split peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Stir, so the split peas don’t get stuck together. Let soak for one hour; the water will become hazy. Some pea skins may rise to the surface of the water. Discard of the skins. Drain the peas and cover again with water – the water will look much clearer. Stir, discard of any skins at the surface, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Step 2 – Line up a small plate with paper towel. In large heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon strips stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Scoop bacon pieces into the prepared plate, lined up with paper towel. Keep about 1 tablespoon (15ml) of rendered bacon fat in the pot, and discard of the rest or keep for another use.

Step 3 –Add the onion and garlic to the pot, with the 1 tablespoon (15ml) of bacon fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and celery. Stir, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

Step 4 – Add the split peas, bay leaves, thyme and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Step 5 – When the split peas are cooked through and soft, discard of the thyme and bay leaves. Puree the soup until smooth, using a food mill, immersion hand blender or working in batches using a regular blender.

Step 6 – Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. For serving, pour the soup into bowls, and top with a dollop of crème fraiche or heavy cream, and sprinkle with cooked bacon. You can re-heat the bacon quickly just before serving in a pan, over medium heat for 1 minute.

Optional: Garnish with fresh herbs or micro-greens (as pictured).