Grandma’s old-fashioned Dutch pea soup is made with smoked sausage, split peas, pork shoulder chops, and lots of vegetables. This wintery Dutch split pea soup is so delicious!
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe Works
Nothing tastes better than a steaming bowl of Dutch pea soup, known as erwtensoep, when it’s cold outside.
My mother, now the grandmother of my three children, gave me this recipe, and even after all these years, I still make pea soup the way she always did.
Making an Easy Dutch Pea Soup
Homemade Dutch pea soup is not difficult to make. I know there are recipes that allow you to prepare it in one to two hours. However, that’s not how Grandma used to make it. It does require some time. If you want the most delicious pea soup, that is. Time does not mean more work with this soup. On the contrary!
The time is mostly spent soaking the split peas in advance and cooking the soup. It doesn’t take much work. But it’s all the more satisfying. 😉
Pea Soup Ingredients
- Split peas: you can also use whole peas, but split peas (the name says it all) are split and cook much faster after boiling. In this soup recipe, you don’t blend the soup with a hand blender, but cook it for a long time to create a nice thick soup. The ladle can easily stand upright in the pea soup.
- Smoked sausage: a Dutch delicacy, some nice smokey sausage is a must in a nice big pot of pea soup.
- Pork: shoulder chops add flavor, and if you’ve cooked the whole shoulder chop, you can pull the meat off the bone and put it back in the pot.
- Beef shank: mainly adds flavor to the pea soup.
- Vegetables: carrots, leeks, celeriac, and celery leaves add flavor, a little color, and make for a delicious, nutritious pea soup.
- Rye bread: Dutch pea soup is traditionally served with rye bread with butter and (brown) sugar or bacon.
Split Pea Soup Recipe
Making your own pea soup is easy with this recipe for the most delicious pea soup. Most of the preparation time comes from soaking the split peas and preparing the ingredients. It’s the perfect soup to prepare beforehand, since it becomes even more delicious after a day or two.
- First, cook the split peas with the beef shank and pork shoulder chop.
- Then, add the vegetables and cook until tender.
- Before serving, add the final seasonings, and enjoy a bowl of delicious, comforting soup
In addition to keeping you full for a long time, a good pea soup is packed with vitamins and minerals. It is easily digestible and full of vegetables.
Serving Tips
Traditionally, it is served with rye bread, bacon, butter and brown sugar. Other tasty accompaniments include sausage rolls, sourdough bread with butter and cheese, or a baguette to dip in the soup.
Now that winter’s coming, this comforting soup recipe needs to be added to your repertoire. Check out my other soup recipes, like this hearty bean soup, for more heartwarming inspiration.
FAQ
Can I substitute the split peas?
You need split peas for pea soup, and they cannot be substituted. Green peas or other types of peas will not produce the same result.
How much water do I need for soaking the peas?
For soaking, I use 1 liter / approx. 4 cups of water. After soaking, drain the water and rinse the split peas if necessary. For the soup, add 2 liters / approx. 8 cups of water to the split peas.
These measurements are based on the recipe as is, using 500 grams / 1.1 lb split peas.
Can I store leftover soup?
You can store pea soup in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days in the same pot it was cooked in. But did you know that it can also be frozen? Freezing the soup in portions for one or two people is convenient for a quick meal or lunch.
Did you make this recipe? Let us know in a comment or leave a rating behind! Or follow us on social media here.
Ingredients
- 500 gram split peas (soaked*)
- 500 gram pork shoulder chops
- 250 gram beef shank
- 2 liter water
- 3 potatoes (medium-sized, peeled and diced)
- 250 gram white beans (pre-cooked)
- 1 leek (thinly sliced)
- 1 carrot (peeled and diced.)
- ½ celeriac (peeled and diced)
- 1 smoked sausage (sliced)
- 1 bunch celery leaves (finely chopped)
- freshly ground black pepper, salt, tabasco, stock cube (all to taste)
Equipment
- Soup pot
- Skimmer
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Place the split peas, beef shank, and pork shoulder chop in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for an hour or an hour and a half. Remove the meat from the pot and skim the soup with a skimmer.
- Add the potatoes, white beans, leeks, carrots, and celeriac to the soup. Bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for about two hours, until the split peas are completely soft.
- If necessary, skim the foam off the soup occasionally while it’s cooking.
- Remove the meat from the beef shank and shoulder chop, then cut or pull it into small pieces. Add the meat to the soup along with the celery leaves and smoked sausage.
- Add a little extra water (or broth) if the soup becomes too thick. Season the pea soup with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!
Labels/ brands in this article can be due to a paid collab. Some links on this page can be affiliate links. Read more: disclaimer.
