ERWTENSOEP - DUTCH PEA SOUP

Erwtensoep, also called "snert", is the Dutch version of pea soup. The soup, which is traditionally eaten during the winter, is emblematic of Dutch cuisine. It is customarily served with rye bread and bacon, cheese or butter. The bacon is usually 'katenspek'; bacon which has been cooked and then smoked. The pork and sausage from the soup can also be eaten separately on rye bread together with mustard. So called 'koek en zopie' outlets, small food and drinks stalls which spring up only during winters along frozen canals, ponds and lakes in the Netherlands and cater to ice skaters, usually serve "snert" as a hearty snack. In Suriname, a former Dutch colony, Dutch-style pea soup is eaten as a street food.

Serves 8
1 hour 45 minutes
393 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 500 g green split peas
• 500 g piece ham
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp thyme, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 250 g smoked sausage such as kielbasa
• 250 g carrots, roughly chopped
• 200 g onions, roughly chopped
• 250 g celeriac, roughly chopped
• 250 g leeks, sliced

Method

1. Put 2 liters of water, the split peas, ham, bay leaf, thyme and cloves into a large pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises.
2. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Remove the ham, cut into pieces and remove the bone.
4. Return the meat to the pot with the whole sausages and vegetables, then cook gently for 30 minutes.
5. Remove and slice the sausages, then process everything with a stick blender until smooth. This soup should be thick but if you prefer a slightly thinner soup simply add a bit of water.
6. Return the sliced sausages into the soup and serve with rye bread with mustard.