Erwtensoep

Erwtensoep (Dutch Split Pea Soup / Snert)

The classic Dutch winter soup, traditionally eaten after ice skating on frozen canals. A thick, hearty split pea soup made with pork, root vegetables and smoked rookworst — so thick that a spoon should be able to stand upright in it.

Prep

20 min

Cook

180 min

Total

200 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
• •2.5 L (10½ cups) cold water, plus more as needed
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork shoulder or hock, bone-in, hock gives more body; trim excess fat
• •1 whole smoked pork belly (rendenvlees), about 200 g / 7 oz, optional but traditional
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •1 small celery root (celeriac), about 300 g / 10½ oz, peeled and cubed
• •2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• •1 medium leek, white and light green parts, washed and sliced
• •1 small onion, quartered, stuck with 2 cloves
• •2 stalks celery, diced
• •150 g (5¼ oz) smoked rookworst sausage, 1 ring per person; rookworst only, not fresh
• •1 tbsp salt, to taste, plus more for finishing
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •1 tbsp chopped fresh celery leaf or parsley, optional garnish
• •Dutch rye bread (roggebrood) and butter, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Soak the split peas: place the rinsed peas in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain well. (Soaking is traditional; it speeds cooking and gives a smoother, creamier texture.)
2. 2 In a heavy 5-litre / 5-quart stockpot, combine the drained peas, 2.5 L / 10½ cups cold water, pork shoulder (or hock), smoked pork belly, the clove-studded onion, bay leaf and 1 tbsp salt. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, skimming any grey foam that rises.
3. 3 Reduce the heat to low so the soup barely shimmers. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally so the peas don't catch on the bottom. The peas should be mostly soft by this point.
4. 4 Remove the pork shoulder and smoked pork belly to a plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone and shred; discard the bone, rind and excess fat. Set the meat aside.
5. 5 Add the celeriac, carrots, leek and celery to the pot. Return the shredded pork and any juices to the pot. Simmer uncovered for another 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently as the peas break down and the soup thickens.
6. 6 Fish out the onion quarters and bay leaf. For a more traditional, smoother texture, use a potato masher or immersion blender to partially purée the soup — it should be thick enough that a wooden spoon stands upright in it for a moment. If it thickens too much, loosen with hot water.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt and pepper; Dutch cooks season assertively at the end, as the long simmer mellows salt.
8. 8 Meanwhile, heat a separate small pot of water (or low-salt broth) to a bare simmer. Add the rookworst rings and poach gently for 15-20 minutes — never boil, or the casings may burst and the sausage becomes rubbery. The rookworst is fully cooked when heated through to an internal temperature of 70°C / 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
9. 9 Ladle the thick soup into warmed bowls. Place a hot rookworst ring into each bowl (or slice and fan it over the soup). Scatter celery leaf or parsley over the top.
10. 10 Serve immediately, with very thick slices of Dutch rye bread (roggebrood) spread liberally with salted butter, and a small dish of mustard or piccalilli on the side. Leftovers thicken as they cool; thin with water or stock when reheating.