flipÄrtsoppa med fläsk — yellow pea soup with pork
Ärtsoppa med fläsk — yellow pea soup with pork
Why this dish? Thursday pea soup is a centuries-old Swedish institution, served in every house in Värmland, from farms to bourgeois homes like Mårbacka. Selma grew up with this weekly ritual that warmed the long winters.
A thick, golden soup of dried yellow peas, long simmered with a piece of pork and scented with marjoram. Creamy and comforting, it is traditionally eaten on Thursdays, followed by pancakes with jam.
At Mårbacka, Thursday was unlike any other day: from early morning, the smell of yellow peas filled the kitchen, and we children knew we had to wait patiently. My mother would slip in a nice piece of pork and a pinch of marjoram, nothing more, because good things need no frills. Then we served thin pancakes with lingonberry jam, and believe me, no Stockholm feast could match this humble soup of our Värmland.
- •Dried yellow peas — a good measure (soup base)
- •Pork or smoked ham with rind — a piece (fat and umami)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
- •Dried marjoram — a pinch (traditional flavor)
- •Skåne mustard — for serving (condiment)
Ärtsoppa med fläsk — yellow pea soup with pork
A thick, golden soup of dried yellow peas, long simmered with a piece of pork and scented with marjoram. Creamy and comforting, it is traditionally eaten on Thursdays, followed by pancakes with jam.
Why this dish? Thursday pea soup is a centuries-old Swedish institution, served in every house in Värmland, from farms to bourgeois homes like Mårbacka. Selma grew up with this weekly ritual that warmed the long winters.
At Mårbacka, Thursday was unlike any other day: from early morning, the smell of yellow peas filled the kitchen, and we children knew we had to wait patiently. My mother would slip in a nice piece of pork and a pinch of marjoram, nothing more, because good things need no frills. Then we served thin pancakes with lingonberry jam, and believe me, no Stockholm feast could match this humble soup of our Värmland.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried yellow peas — a good measure (soup base)
- Pork or smoked ham with rind — a piece (fat and umami)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
- Dried marjoram — a pinch (traditional flavor)
- Skåne mustard — for serving (condiment)
Ingredients
- Split yellow peas — 400 g (soup base)
- Smoked pork belly or ham hock — 300 g (fat and umami)
- Onion — 1 large, studded with cloves (aromatic)
- Marjoram and thyme — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Water — 1.5 L (cooking liquid)
- Hot mustard — for serving (condiment)
Method
- Soak the split peas for a few hours (optional with modern split peas), then rinse.
- Put the peas in a large pot with cold water, bring to a boil, and skim off the foam that rises.
- Add the pork, onion studded with cloves, and herbs. Simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours until the peas break down.
- Remove the pork, dice it, and return it to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with a dab of mustard, and lingonberry pancakes for dessert if you want to follow tradition.
How it was made : Yellow peas, easy to store all winter, were a staple of peasant and bourgeois diets. The Thursday tradition may date back to pre-Reformation times, when one ate heartily before Friday fasting. The soup nourished soldiers and families alike.
The contemporary twist : A drizzle of mustard oil and a few fresh dill sprigs on top, served in a blue enamel bowl for Scandinavian spirit.
Sources : Cajsa Warg, Hjelpreda i Hushållningen för Unga Fruentimber (1755) · Selma Lagerlöf, Mårbacka (1922)
Selma Lagerlöf · Charactorium
