Dutch pea soup recipe: classic snert improves overnight

This Dutch pea soup recipe makes classic snert with split peas, celeriac, leek and smoked sausage; slow cooking and an overnight rest create its characteristic thickness.

Snert belongs to the Dutch winter kitchen and is traditionally substantial enough to serve as a meal. The Dutch Food Calendar describes pea soup as a dish that has kept people warm for centuries. Sausage maker Samuel Levie and chef Joris Bijdendijk devoted a book to it, which JW kookt cites for its version.

Every family seems to change the formula. This house recipe keeps the base recognisable and does not use a stock cube as a shortcut: vegetables, peas and meat build the flavour together.

Dutch pea soup ingredients

• 500 g green split peas, rinsed
• 2 litres cold water
• 500 g pork shoulder or bone-in shoulder chop
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 celeriac, peeled and diced
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch celery leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 smoked sausage, about 275 g
• salt and black pepper
• rye bread and mustard to serve

Method step by step

1. Bring the split peas, water, pork and bay leaf slowly to the boil. Skim the surface and simmer for 60 minutes; vigorous boiling makes the thick base more likely to catch.
2. Lift out the meat. Add celeriac, leek, carrot, onion and potato, then cook for another 45 to 60 minutes. Stir across the bottom regularly.
3. Remove bones and excess fat from the pork. Pull the meat into small pieces and return it to the pan.
4. Add the celery leaves. Heat the smoked sausage according to its packet, slice it and stir the pieces into the soup.
5. Season only now with salt and pepper. Cool the pan and refrigerate it overnight.
6. Reheat the soup gently the next day. Add only a splash of water if it becomes too thick to stir without catching.

Why resting improves the soup

Split peas continue absorbing liquid after cooking. The soup firms as it cools and the smoked sausage, celery and vegetables settle into one flavour. The familiar test in which a wooden spoon stands upright is folklore rather than a technical rule; creamy but stirrable is more useful.

For a lighter pot, omit the pork and serve the sausage separately. A fully plant-based version needs extra browned mushrooms or smoked paprika for depth. See more Dutch classics in the AMUSE recipe archive.

Dutch pea soup questions

How long does pea soup keep? Cooled quickly and covered, it keeps for about three days in the refrigerator; reheat only the portion you need.

Can Dutch pea soup be frozen? Yes. Freeze it in portions and add a little water after thawing if necessary.

Why does snert catch on the pan? The dense pea mixture settles on the base, so use low heat and stir regularly with a flat spoon.