Dutch recipes: Erwtensoep ( Pea soup)

Erwtensoep ( Dutch pea soup)

Again this is a recipe often used in winter times. Often served on cold and frosty day, great warm up after a day outside on the ice or in the snow. My childhood memories are this soup being served from a small food and drink stal next to the outdoor ice ring or my grandmother cooking this for my grandfather after a hard days work outside on the field.

Serves: 4 people

preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

- 300 grams of split peas
- 2 bay leafs
- 1 vegitable stock cube
- 8 sticks of celery
- 200 grams of turnip
- 2 large potatoes
- 2 onions
- 200 grams of leak
- 300 grams large carrots
- 5 twigs of parsley
- 1 dinner spoon of butter or vegitable fat

For the non vegitarian option add 300 grams of pork chops and a smoked pork sausage.

Step 1:

Leave your split peas to rest in cold water for 2 hours before cooking so they go softer

Step 2:

While your peas are soaking you can start peeling, cutting and dicing your vegitables to small sizes you you can use them as soon as your peas are finished.

Step 3:

Get a large pan and add the split peas, bay leaf, cellery, vegitable stock cube and 2 liters of cold water.
Bring this to the boil while stiring one in a while and leave it on a low heat to simmer for around 45 minutes.

If your choosing to use pork chops then also add these to the pan uncooked and leave them to simmer with the stock and vegetables.

Step 4:

After 30 minutes of cooking add the diced turnip and potatoes and return to a simmer on low heat.



Step 5:

After the pan has been on low heat for 45 minutes you add the diced carrots and parseley.

If your using meat then take it out the pan at this moment and cut it into nice small pieces and return them to the soup.

Step 6:

Take out the bay leaf and larger leaves of parsely and celery.

Step 7:

Fry your diced onions in your butter or vegitable fat till light brown.
 Add sliced leak and when both nice colour add them to your soup.

If your choosing to use smoked pork sausage then take it out of the packaging, slice it and add it to your soup.

Step 8:

After 1 hour total cooking time your soup is ready, if to thick add water.

Variations to this soup:

- brown beans, rough cut soup vegitables, red and green peppers, bacon
- white beans, raisins, small pieces of chorizo
- chickpeas, pumpkin, leak and curry powder

In the Netherlands we would now say " Eet Smakelijk" this means;
     

                                                                Enjoy your meal

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