Pea Soup
Drygast, 2021-01-21
Classic Swedish pea soup.
- Servings6 Portions
- AllergensEggs, Milk, Wheat
- Prep Time5 min
- Rest Time720 min
- Cook Time120 min
Classic Swedish peasoup with pork that is normally served on Thursdays with mustard, pancakes and punch. In Sweden, it has been known that pea soup has been consumed since the 13th century. Making your own pea soup is cheap, healthy and easy. Here I make it with pork leg, but of course you can leave the meat and make it completely vegetarian instead. I have also included the pancakes as part of the recipe as it is completely impossible for me to eat pea soup without pancakes.
It is rumored that King Erik XIV was poisoned by pea soup spiked with arsenic, but this has not been proven. It has been established that he died of arsenic poisoning, but not that the arsenic was in pea soup. That they chose to eat this dish specifically on Thursdays seems to come from the Catholic time when Friday was considered a meat-free day - they then chose pea soup with pork the day before.
Pea soup is a common occurrence in Swedish home cooking, but its presence in the military and other public kitchens is particularly obvious. If you do not have the time or energy to cook your own soup, there is nothing wrong with buying a classic "soldatens ärtsoppa" and enjoy it with mustard, some extra pork and fresh thyme.
Do not be discouraged by looking at how long this recipe takes to cook - most of the time is just waiting for the peas to soak or the stew to take care of itself. In this particular recipe, I make the soup in an ordinary pot, but it will be a very good result from using a slow cooker as well. Should there instead be a lack of time, it is also possible to use a pressure cooker (approx. 30 minutes). The soup stays excellent in the fridge for a few days. I think the soup will be better if it is left in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
Nutrition Facts*
| Total | Serving | 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 6187.32 kcal | 1031.22 kcal | 153 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 500.65 g | 83.44 g | 12.38 g |
| Fat | 340.91 g | 56.82 g | 8.43 g |
| Protein | 277.42 g | 46.24 g | 6.86 g |
| Sugar | 150.84 g | 25.14 g | 3.73 g |
| Salt | 20.62 g | 3.44 g | 0.51 g |
* The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using the ingredients available in the database. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Directions
- Soak the dry yellow peas in 1.5 liter of water 12-24 hours.
- Drain the water and add the peas to a large pot.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Add onion, leek, and spices.
- Trim the skin of ham hock and add the meat to the pot.
- Simmer for an hour.
- Remove the meat and put it to the side. When cooled, slice the meat into cubes (to be added back into the soup later).
- Simmer for another hour or until the peas are soft. Crush the peas, add the meat back to the pot, add salt/black pepper to taste.
- Mix egg and flour in a bowl.
- Add some of the milk and whisk until a smooth batter.
- Add the rest of the milk and leave it in the fridge until its time to cook.
- Heat a pan, add butter, cook until the top of the pancake is dry then flip it and cook the other side until golden brown.
Serve the pea soup with mustard. Pancakes on the side with strawberry jam and whipper cream. And if possible - "Swedish Punsch".
SlowcookerThis recipe works great in a slowcooker. Use about 100g less broth and add the meat when 4 hours cooking remain. Low setting for 8 hours.