History
Erwtensoep, also called snert, is the Dutch version of pea soup and is traditionally eaten in winter. I amsterdam describes a thick soup packed with onions, celery, leeks, carrots and slices of rookworst, traditionally served with rye bread and smoky bacon. Moeders on Rozengracht lists erwtensoep with bacon and a sausage from the butcher Louman, and the dish also reached Indonesia as sup ercis through Dutch colonial ties.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Celery
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g green split peas, rinsed (no need to soak)
- 500g pork ribs (rib-tip end) or a smoked ham hock
- 2.5L cold water
- 1 large leek, white and pale green only, sliced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1/4 celeriac, peeled and diced (about 300g)
- 2 medium waxy potatoes, diced
- 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp white peppercorns, 2 tsp sea salt
- 200g katenspek smoked pork belly (or thick-cut smoked bacon)
- 2 rookworst smoked sausages, sliced 1cm thick
- Slices of dark roggebrood (Dutch rye) and mustard to serve
Method
- Place the split peas, pork ribs or ham hock, water, bay leaves, peppercorns and onion in a large heavy pot; bring to a low boil and skim the foam carefully for 5 minutes.
- Reduce to a bare simmer and cook covered for 90 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes so the peas do not catch.
- Lift the pork out, strip the meat from the bones, dice and reserve. Discard bones and bay leaves.
- Add the leek, carrot, celeriac, potato, garlic and salt to the pea base; simmer uncovered 40 minutes until everything has broken down and the soup is very thick.
- Return the diced pork meat to the pot. The texture is right when a wooden spoon stood in the centre stays upright for several seconds.
- Warm the rookworst sausage slices in the soup for the last 5 minutes; sear the katenspek slices in a dry pan for 90 seconds per side to render and crisp.
- Ladle into deep bowls, lay the katenspek across the top, and serve with roggebrood spread with mustard on the side.
Tip from the editors. Snert tastes better the next day; make it 24 hours ahead, refrigerate, then loosen with a splash of stock when reheating.
Where to eat erwtensoep (dutch split pea soup)
Erwtensoep (Dutch Split Pea Soup) in Amsterdam
Moeders ★ 4.0
Moeders at Rozengracht 251 is a small Dutch restaurant with 38 seats, open every day from 17.00 and known for traditional Dutch food and walls of pictures.
OrderThe Dutch ricedish: no rice, but little bits and pieces of traditional Dutch home cooking.
TipThe restaurant has only 38 seats and books up quickly, and reservations are taken only through the website.
Erwtensoep (Dutch Split Pea Soup) in Utrecht
Biologische Boerenmarkt Vredenburg ★ 4.6
Utrecht's organic farmers market on Vredenburgplein every Friday. Local farmers sell cheese, organic produce, bread, juices, meat and sustainable fish.
Ledig Erf ★ 4.7
Historic brown cafe on the Tolsteegplein open to 02:00 on weekends. Forty Dutch and Belgian beers, bitterballen and a legendary local atmosphere.
TryBitterballen and Dutch bar snacks
Stadsbrouwerij Utrechts Bier ★ 4.0
Utrecht's original city brewery taproom on the Paardenveld. A bitterballen plank with a pint of the house Bisschop amber ale costs under €12 at the bar.
TryBitterballen plank with a pint of Bisschop amber ale
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