flipÄrtsoppa — Thursday yellow pea soup
Ärtsoppa — Thursday yellow pea soup
Why this dish? Thursday yellow pea soup is an unchanging Swedish institution, served in both bourgeois and working-class homes. In the Mittag-Leffler household in Djursholm, this hearty and economical dish punctuated the week and warmed the long winter afternoons spent on demonstrations.
A thick soup of dried yellow peas simmered with a piece of salted pork, flavored with marjoram and thyme, traditionally followed by pancakes for dessert. The quintessential Thursday dish.
Allow me to serve you a bowl of this soup — it's Thursday, and a Thursday without ärtsoppa is not a proper Thursday, believe a man of order. At home in Djursholm, we let it simmer from morning, with a fine piece of salted bacon, and we never forget to skim the first skins that rise, otherwise the soup becomes cloudy. A touch of mustard at serving, and the work of the mind is singularly sustained. You'll see: after this, one demonstrates theorems with a contented stomach and a clear mind.
- •Dried yellow peas — two good measures (soup base)
- •Salted bacon or ham hock — one piece (fat and umami)
- •Onion — one, studded (aromatic)
- •Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavor)
- •Strong mustard — at serving (piquancy)
Ärtsoppa — Thursday yellow pea soup
A thick soup of dried yellow peas simmered with a piece of salted pork, flavored with marjoram and thyme, traditionally followed by pancakes for dessert. The quintessential Thursday dish.
Why this dish? Thursday yellow pea soup is an unchanging Swedish institution, served in both bourgeois and working-class homes. In the Mittag-Leffler household in Djursholm, this hearty and economical dish punctuated the week and warmed the long winter afternoons spent on demonstrations.
Allow me to serve you a bowl of this soup — it's Thursday, and a Thursday without ärtsoppa is not a proper Thursday, believe a man of order. At home in Djursholm, we let it simmer from morning, with a fine piece of salted bacon, and we never forget to skim the first skins that rise, otherwise the soup becomes cloudy. A touch of mustard at serving, and the work of the mind is singularly sustained. You'll see: after this, one demonstrates theorems with a contented stomach and a clear mind.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried yellow peas — two good measures (soup base)
- Salted bacon or ham hock — one piece (fat and umami)
- Onion — one, studded (aromatic)
- Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavor)
- Strong mustard — at serving (piquancy)
Ingredients
- Dried yellow peas (split) — 400 g (soup base)
- Smoked pork knuckle or salted bacon — 300 g (fat and umami)
- Onion — 1 large (aromatic)
- Dried marjoram — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Thyme — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Water — 1.5 L (liquid)
- Strong Dijon mustard — at serving (piquancy)
Method
- Soak the yellow peas overnight in cold water, then drain.
- Put the peas in a large pot with 1.5 L of cold water, bring to a simmer and carefully skim off any foam that rises.
- Add the pork knuckle or bacon, the whole studded onion, marjoram and thyme.
- Simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the peas are tender and the soup is thick.
- Remove the meat, cut into pieces and return to the soup. Season with salt cautiously (the pork is already salty).
- Serve very hot, each person adding a dab of strong mustard to taste.
How it was made : The Thursday pea-soup-then-pancakes tradition is a Swedish custom documented for centuries, sometimes linked to the pre-Reformation Catholic Friday fast: one would fill up the night before. In the 19th century, it was a weekly meal in all classes, including the army and boarding schools.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a deep bowl with a drizzle of cream and a few fresh marjoram sprigs, and finish the meal with thin pancakes with lingonberry jam, as Thursday custom dictates.
Gösta Mittag-Leffler · Charactorium
