Snert (Dutch pea soup)Dutch split pea soup

• 500 g1.1 lb (2 1/2 cups) green split peas (spliterwten), rinsed in a sieve until the water runs clear; soak 6–8 hours if you like
• 2.25 L9 1/2 cups cold water, plus a little more if the soup catches
• 500 g1.1 lb pork spare ribs (krabbetjes) or pork hock, the bones and gelatine thicken the soup
• 250 g9 oz speklap (fresh pork belly) or a shoulder chop, in one piece
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 leeks, white and pale green parts, washed and sliced
• 400 g14 oz celeriac (knolselderij), peeled, in small dice
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 floury potato (optional), diced; only if you want the soup thicker
• 1 handful celery leaves (snijselderij), chopped
• 1 (about 275 g)1 (about 10 oz) rookworst (Dutch smoked sausage), sliced into rounds
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• rye bread (roggebrood) and katenspek (smoked cooked bacon), to serve

Method

1. 1

   1. Put the ribs, the pork belly and the bay leaf in a large heavy pot with the cold water and bring slowly to the boil.

2. 2

   2. Skim off the grey foam that rises, then lower the heat and let the meat simmer gently for 1 hour.

3. 3

   3. Add the drained split peas and simmer for 1 hour more, stirring the bottom of the pot every 10 minutes, because the peas catch easily.

4. 4

   4. Add the onions, leeks, celeriac, carrots and the potato if using, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the peas have collapsed into a thick green purée and the vegetables are soft.

5. 5

   5. Lift out the meat, pull it off the bones, cut it into small pieces and return it to the pot; discard the bones and the bay leaf.

6. 6

   6. Add the rookworst slices and the celery leaves and heat for 10–15 minutes without letting the soup boil hard.

7. 7

   7. Season with salt and pepper; the soup is ready when it is thick enough to hold a spoon upright for a moment.

8. 8

   8. For true snert, let the pot cool, refrigerate it overnight and reheat it slowly the next day with a splash of water, stirring often.

9. 9

   9. Serve in deep bowls with rye bread topped with slices of katenspek.