Erwtensoep Recipe – Traditional Dutch Pea Soup

“Air-ten-soop.” A staple of traditional and modern Dutch cooking, erwtensoep is the perfect way to warm up on a rainy afternoon. In Holland, erwtensoep is often served with rye-bread covered in butter or mustard with thinly sliced ham. This recipe is from my Oma.

Ingredients
3 ½ cups dried split peas
8 cups water to start
ham bone or spare ribs
hunk of bacon/ham and/or kielbasa sausage (or other smoked sausage)
2 leeks
2 - 3 potatoes
3 - 4 stalks celery, diced
1 medium celery root, diced
1 - 2 carrots, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
bullion cube
salt and pepper

Soak the peas overnight.

Add water and salt into a large soup pot and simmer for one hour.

Add ham bone and bacon.

After another hour, add vegetables and simmer another 1 ½ to 2 hours, adding more water if soup becomes too thick.

Remove ham bone. Cut up ham/bacon and return to pot.

Add sausage and simmer another ½ hour.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oma's Scones

Until I started this project, I had not eaten my Oma's scones since she passed away 23 years ago. When I baked these for the first time and smelled the sweet, warm tang of the lemon and raisin, the scent brought me back to afternoons with my Oma. We would sit together in the afternoon for Dutch tea time with a bowl of fresh-picket strawberries, tea, and warm scones.

The special secret of this recipe is the candied citrus peel - which you can buy or make yourself. I've put the directions for candied citrus at the end. I like to use mostly candied lemon peel with just a touch of orange peel. This is a large recipe, which halves easily. It makes a rich, dense scone great for tea time.


Ingredients
6 cups self-rising flour (or regular flour + 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt)
2 cups white flour
2 sticks of butter
big slug of vanilla
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. candied lemon/orange peel
1 lb. raisins
⅓ lb. currants
enough milk to hold it together


Combine dry ingredients in bowl.

Cut in butter with pastry cutter or two knives.

Add raisins, spices, vanilla and chopped candied citrus peel and stir.

Add milk and mix then knead dough for a few minutes with your hands.

Roll out and cut into squares.

Bake 10-13 minutes at 425°F.


Candied Lemon and Orange Peel

1 organic lemon or orange, washed
2 1/2 cups sugar

Peel the lemon or orange peel into strips using a vegetable peeler. Remove only the yellow zest, and not the white pith.

Combine the peels with 2 cups cold water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then drain off the water.

Add 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar to the saucepan and mix to dissolve sugar.Add citrus peels back into the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce and simmer on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes uncovered. Drain and let the peels cool.

Pour the last 1/2 cup sugar into a medium-sized bowl and add the peels, tossing to coat with sugar. Remove peels one at a time and shake to remove excess sugar. Store in airtight jar. The candied peels can be used immediately but will keep for several weeks.


Try this recipe and tell me what you think!