Ärtsoppa med fläsk (Yellow Pea Soup with Salt Pork)
A rustic soup of yellow split peas long simmered with salt pork and onion, perfumed with marjoram and thyme. Served piping hot, with sliced pork on top, traditionally followed by pancakes.
A rustic soup of yellow split peas long simmered with salt pork and onion, perfumed with marjoram and thyme. Served piping hot, with sliced pork on top, traditionally followed by pancakes.
Thursday, you see, is not up for discussion: it's pea soup. I ate it as a child in the narrow house in Stockholm, and later I found it again in the cheap eateries where we remade the world, spoon in hand. Let the yellow peas soak all night, skim relentlessly that skin that rises, and slip a piece of salted pork into the pot—that's what gives it soul. A pinch of marjoram, and you have a poor man's meal that's worth more than many a salon feast.
- •Yellow split peas — a large bowlful (soup base)
- •Salted pork (fläsk) — a good piece (fat and umami)
- •Onion — two (aromatic)
- •Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavoring)
- •Salt — according to the pork (seasoning)
Ärtsoppa med fläsk (Yellow Pea Soup with Salt Pork)
A rustic soup of yellow split peas long simmered with salt pork and onion, perfumed with marjoram and thyme. Served piping hot, with sliced pork on top, traditionally followed by pancakes.
Why this dish? On Thursdays, all Sweden eats pea soup—a custom inherited from garrison and convent kitchens. For a frequently penniless bohemian like Strindberg, torn between Stockholm and his exiles, this thick, cheap soup was the staple that stuck to the ribs.
Thursday, you see, is not up for discussion: it's pea soup. I ate it as a child in the narrow house in Stockholm, and later I found it again in the cheap eateries where we remade the world, spoon in hand. Let the yellow peas soak all night, skim relentlessly that skin that rises, and slip a piece of salted pork into the pot—that's what gives it soul. A pinch of marjoram, and you have a poor man's meal that's worth more than many a salon feast.
Ingredients (period version)
- Yellow split peas — a large bowlful (soup base)
- Salted pork (fläsk) — a good piece (fat and umami)
- Onion — two (aromatic)
- Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavoring)
- Salt — according to the pork (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Yellow split peas — 400 g (soup base)
- Salted pork belly or ham hock — 300 g (fat and umami)
- Onion — 2, chopped (aromatic)
- Dried marjoram — 1 tsp (flavoring)
- Thyme — 1/2 tsp (flavoring)
- Water — 1.5 L (liquid)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Soak the split peas for at least 8 hours (ideally overnight), then drain.
- Put the peas in a large pot with the water, bring to a boil, and carefully skim off any foam that rises.
- Add the onion, salted meat, marjoram, and thyme. Simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the peas have broken down.
- Remove the meat, slice it, and set aside. Season the soup with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt from the pork).
- Serve the soup piping hot, with the meat slices on the side, and according to tradition, pancakes with jam for dessert.
How it was made : The Thursday pea soup (ärtsoppa) has been attested in Sweden for centuries, popularized by military and religious kitchens where it preceded the Friday fast. Swedish 19th-century cookbooks, such as Charles Emil Hagdahl's, codify it with pork, onion, and herbs—exactly the version Strindberg would have known.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in small cups with a drizzle of mild Swedish mustard and a sprig of fresh dill—a nod to the modern smörgåsbord.
Sources : Charles Emil Hagdahl, Kokkonsten som vetenskap och konst (1879) · Cajsa Warg, Hjelpreda i Hushållningen för Unga Fruentimber (1755)
August Strindberg · Charactorium