Erwtensoep (Dutch Pea Soup)

Ingredients

• 7.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups peas (dried green split)
• 3.5 ounces pork belly (Dutch speklapjes or thick-cut bacon)
• 1 pork chop
• 1 bouillon cube (vegetable, pork or chicken)
• 2 celery ribs
• 2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 1 potato (peeled and cubed)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 leek (sliced)
• 1 cup celeriac (cubed)
• 1 pound rookworst (smoked sausage, chopped)
• salt
• pepper

Method

Erwtensoep is a pureed peas|pea soup built on the backbone of pork stock. The pork—belly, chop, and rookworst—does the work of seasoning the liquid as the split peas break down into a creamy base. Start by bringing 1.9 litres of water to a rolling boil with the split peas, pork belly, pork chop, and bouillon cube. The boil is non-negotiable; it drives the peas to absorb water evenly and prevents them from settling into a gritty, half-cooked mass. Skim the foam that rises in the first 10 minutes—this is denatured protein and will cloud the finished soup if left behind. After 45 minutes, the peas should be soft enough that they collapse under light pressure, and the pork will be stringy.

Fish out the pork chop, let it cool briefly, then debone it and shred the meat; set aside. Now add your aromatic vegetables: celery, carrot, potato, onion, leek, and celeriac. These go in together because they share a similar breakdown rate in simmering liquid—roughly 25 to 30 minutes. Return to a simmer, uncovered, and let the vegetables soften completely. The potato will thicken the soup further as its starch leaches into the broth, and the celeriac adds a subtle earthiness that deepens the flavour profile. After 25 minutes, add the rookworst, chopped into bite-sized pieces. It needs only 10 minutes to warm through; longer cooking makes it mealy.

When everything is tender, remove the pork belly and sausage pieces. If you want the traditional smooth consistency, use a stick blender to puree the soup in the pot until it reaches the texture of thick cream. The peas will dissolve completely; the vegetables break into a homogenous mass. Taste and adjust salt and pepper—remember the pork and bouillon have already seasoned the liquid, so be judicious.

Stir the reserved shredded pork chop back into the soup, then divide between heated bowls. Arrange the pork belly and rookworst slices on top, finish with celery leaf, and serve at once. The soup thickens as it cools, so serve it hot.