Soup

Ärtsoppa (Swedish yellow split pea soup)

Name: Ärtsoppa (Swedish yellow split pea soup)
Total time: 150 min
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 500 g Split peas; 200 g Bacon bits; 1 Onion; 3 Clove; 2 branches Thyme

Preparation time: 2 h 30
Servings: serves 6

Ingredients

serves 6

Split peas — to buy500 g
Bacon bits — to buy200 g
Onion — to buy1
Clove — to buy3
Thyme — to buy2 branches

Preparation

Soak the yellow split peas in a large volume of cold water for 12 hours; they will roughly double in size.
Drain the peas and put them in a large pot with the smoked bacon and water, bring to a boil, skimming off the impurities that rise to the surface.
Add the onion studded with cloves and simmer covered for 1h30, until the peas are very tender and starting to break down.
Remove the onion and bacon, dice the bacon and return it to the soup.
Coarsely mash some of the peas against the side of the pot to thicken the soup naturally, without blending it fully: it should keep some body.
Season with thyme, salt and pepper, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Serve very hot, traditionally on Thursdays, with mustard and bread.