Ronald’s Mum’s Dutch Pea Soup Meatless Version
Vegan | Contains Gluten | Dairy-Free*
(*No longer dairy-free once yoghurt is added as condiment.)
Snert is a Dutch pea soup traditionally eaten during the New Year in the Netherlands. I’ve had the honour of tasting this soup made by Ronald, our dear family friend and neighbour. Heirloom recipes aren’t just about following the method step by step — much depends on the palate and heart of the chef. For Ronald, making this soup is like making a nostalgic journey back home, to his mother and her cooking. This is indeed a dish of love, a painstaking soup to make. The split peas are first boiled with ham hock, mirepoix and bouquet garni till the peas disintegrate and form a slightly chunky puree, then the ham from the hock is pulled out and added back in. The dish also includes rookworst, a smoked pork sausage sliced and added to make the soup extra hearty. Traditionally, this soup is made so thick that a wooden spoon is supposedly able to remain upright in the middle of the pot.
Ronald’s version is fine-tuned to suit the local palate, made vegan, less thick but no less flavourful. It isn’t the most elegant of soups, I’ll admit, but a near perfect one, time-honoured and refined over the years. If you would so prefer a sharper finish, do ask for the salted herb pesto and yoghurt as condiments! Ronald, there is absolutely nothing in the recipe I would change! Thank you for generously sharing it with us!
Ingredients: Vegetable stock (water, root vegetables, herbs), green split peas, potatoes, carrots, celeriac, leek, onions, celery, salt, sugar, herbs, spices
Condiment: Salted herb pesto (chives, Chinese parsley, coriander, scallions), natural yoghurt