Dutch Pea Soup

Ingredients

Peas 500 g

Pork (ribs) 500 g

Bacon 100 g

Smoked sausage 200 g

Onions 2

Carrots 1

Leeks 2

Celery (root) 1

Potatoes 2

Celery (greens) 1 bunch

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Water 2000 ml

Like all traditional recipes, Dutch pea soup is prepared in various ways. It's an ideal dish for a large crowd, and you can also make it in advance and freeze it (it freezes well), then reheat it one or two servings at a time. Authentic Dutch pea soup is made with pork, although leaner versions of this dish also exist. The soup should be very thick: a spoon should remain upright in the center of the pot.

To achieve the desired thickness, prepare the soup a day in advance and reheat it before serving. The sausage traditionally added to the soup, "Gelderse rookworst," comes from the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, but other sausages can be used.

Rinse the peas in a sieve under running water. There's no need to soak the peas. Simply bring the water to a boil with the peas and pork. Drain the foam, rinse the peas and meat, and return to the heat with clean water.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Peel the celery, peel the potatoes, and dice the celery root and potatoes. Peel the carrots and dice them as well. After the peas have been cooking for an hour, add the vegetables to the pot and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. 

Chop the onion, leek, and celery.

After the potatoes, carrots, and celery have been boiling for 15 minutes, add the remaining vegetables to the pot and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pot, remove the skin and bones, and cut into small pieces. Return the meat to the pot and add the green peas. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste and add the smoked meats.

By the end of cooking, the soup will still be too thin. Let it cool completely and sit overnight. The next day, reheat it over low heat to prevent a crust from forming on the bottom, or you can freeze it in portions.

Serve with rye bread or croutons.

Enjoy!