Dutch Pea Soup (Erwtensoep)

Act of love.

Some show it through words.

Some show it through being there for each other and sticking together through thick and thin.

I went to my neighbour who is a South-African Dutch to learn how to make Mr. J's favourite Dutch pea soup.

I also went to DAS Neerlandia - The Dutch Club to ask the ladies there where to locally source the ingredients for the soup and to refine the recipe.

When he came home from work to the smell of an unusually familiar simmering soup aroma that reminded him of home, he felt like he was taking a trip back into his childhood. He knew the distance doesn't matter anymore. He had just savoured a piece of home from this home far away from home.

A hug followed and no other word was needed.

Food is a way of connecting.

(Oh and he discovered that all these times what he thought to be potato in the soup turned out to be celeriac. He had been wondering for years why the 'potato cubes' in this soup always float on to the surface.)

This is one of the Dutch timeless classics and I leave the recipe as original as I can, in order to replicate the taste of home.

Dutch Pea Soup Recipe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

400 g green split peas
1/2 celeriac, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 small pork hock
100 g smoked bacon, cubed (I've used kaiserfleisch, available from supermarkets)
1 leek, sliced
1 smoked pork sausage (I've used Don's rookwurst *, available from supermarkets)
handful of parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

* The correct spelling for Dutch smoked sausage should be Rookworst. Don's Rookwurst has been spelt the German way although they do state the Dutch origin on their website:

"Originating from Holland, the recipe for the Rookwurst was passed on to us by a Dutch butcher who settled in Victoria. Today, the sausage still carries the name of this butcher, "Van Wees". Blended with mild spices, including cardamom, nutmeg and cloves, the DON® Rookwurst displays influences of the Dutchman's early travels to Indonesia. Bold in flavour, it has a distinguishing smoky character"

Method

1. Wash the split peas.



2. In a large pan, bring 1.5 litres of water, peas, celeriac, carrot, pork chops and bacon to the boil. Simmer for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender. Add the leeks for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

   

3. Slice the smoked sausage. Remove the pork hock from the soup and pull the meat off the bones.
4. Return the meat to the pan. Add parsley and smoked sausage and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Served with bread rolls or warm toasts.