flipÄrtsoppa — Thursday Yellow Pea Soup with Pork
Ärtsoppa — Thursday Yellow Pea Soup with Pork
Why this dish? As a very modest little girl in Stockholm, Jenny Lind grew up on this soup that all Sweden has eaten on Thursday evenings for centuries. Sober, warm, and hearty, it exactly matches the "rather sober table of the good bourgeoisie" she kept even at the height of her fame.
A thick soup of yellow peas simmered with a piece of pork and scented with marjoram, traditionally served on Thursday, followed by pancakes. An unchanging classic of northern Swedish cuisine.
You see, whatever honor the world may have been kind enough to bestow upon me, I have never forgotten the Thursdays of my childhood, when this humble bowl of steaming pea soup was placed on the table. We would soak the peas the night before, then leave them for hours with a piece of pork, until the whole house was filled with its fragrance. I would add a pinch of marjoram and a touch of mustard, and we would give thanks before lifting our spoons. It is, I assure you, a dish that warms the soul as much as the body.
- •Dried yellow peas — a good bowlful (base of the soup)
- •Salt pork or cured ham hock — a fine piece (fat and umami)
- •Onion — one or two (aromatic)
- •Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavor)
- •Strong mustard — at serving (lift)
Ärtsoppa — Thursday Yellow Pea Soup with Pork
A thick soup of yellow peas simmered with a piece of pork and scented with marjoram, traditionally served on Thursday, followed by pancakes. An unchanging classic of northern Swedish cuisine.
Why this dish? As a very modest little girl in Stockholm, Jenny Lind grew up on this soup that all Sweden has eaten on Thursday evenings for centuries. Sober, warm, and hearty, it exactly matches the "rather sober table of the good bourgeoisie" she kept even at the height of her fame.
You see, whatever honor the world may have been kind enough to bestow upon me, I have never forgotten the Thursdays of my childhood, when this humble bowl of steaming pea soup was placed on the table. We would soak the peas the night before, then leave them for hours with a piece of pork, until the whole house was filled with its fragrance. I would add a pinch of marjoram and a touch of mustard, and we would give thanks before lifting our spoons. It is, I assure you, a dish that warms the soul as much as the body.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried yellow peas — a good bowlful (base of the soup)
- Salt pork or cured ham hock — a fine piece (fat and umami)
- Onion — one or two (aromatic)
- Marjoram and thyme — to taste (flavor)
- Strong mustard — at serving (lift)
Ingredients
- Dried yellow split peas — 400 g (base of the soup)
- Smoked pork belly or half-salt ham hock — 300 g (fat and umami)
- Onion — 1 large, sliced (aromatic)
- Dried marjoram — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Water — 1.5 L (cooking liquid)
- Strong mustard — at serving (lift)
Method
- Soak the split peas in cold water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
- Put the peas, pork, onion, and water in a large pot; bring to a simmer and skim.
- Simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the peas break down into a thick soup.
- Remove the pork, cut it into dice, and return to the soup; add marjoram and salt.
- Serve very hot with a dab of strong mustard, and pancakes to finish, according to custom.
How it was made : Thursday ärtsoppa dates back to the Swedish Middle Ages: the day before Friday's fast, a hearty, preservable dish was prepared. Peas were one of the few legumes to grow in the Nordic climate, dried to last through winter.
The contemporary twist : Serve in small stoneware pots with a drizzle of mustard oil and a few fresh marjoram sprouts; keep the pancake rolled with lingonberry jam for dessert, as tradition dictates.
Sources : Cajsa Warg, Hjelpreda i hushållningen för unga fruentimber (1755) · Charles Emil Hagdahl, Kok-konsten som vetenskap och konst (1879)
Jenny Lind · Charactorium
