Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup

The classic Scandinavian split-pea soup, usually made with yellow split peas on Thursdays across Sweden and Finland. It's also the traditional Scandinavian supper on the Christian calendar's Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday – what fun-lovin' folk call "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras". In my kitchen? Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup is a cold-weather staple.

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How to Warm Your Family From the Inside Out

Late-winter, early-spring days are so unpredictable. Some days, the air is almost warm and the earth teases us with a scent of spring promise.

Other days – brrr! The daffodils and tulips may poke their little heads out of the ground but it’s downright cold. And windy! Even snowy!

Scandinavian Split-Pea soup is an old, old recipe guaranteed to warm your family from the inside out on these last chilly days.

I read once, "The bigger the pot, the better the soup!" Well then, no wonder this soup is so good because the recipe makes a bunch! So make sure your cooking pot is big enough – or halve the recipe if it’s not – then plan for a crowd or freeze some soup for later.

Then again? One year, two of us just couldn't stop eating this soup! I feared we'd run short so made another pot the very next day!

During cold weather, this is one of a couple of go-to soup recipes before Thanksgiving, when family are gathering for Christmas, whenever we're going to have a houseful of overnight guests. When it's first made, there'll be quite a lot of broth-to-beans but as time goes on, the beans and vegetables soften and it all becomes one, one big tasty, wholesome pot of split-pea soup.

Equally Good: With a Little Ham, a Lot of Ham ... and Vegan

This simple soup is one of my own very oldest recipes, dating back to the year I lived in Finland. It's hearty, it's comforting, it's great for a crowd or a houseful of hungry houseguests! Some times I make it with ham (some times a lot, usually just a little) but it's also good without ham, making it not just vegan but Vegan Done Real.

Make Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup on the stovetop (isn't it lovely to have a pot of soup merrily simmering on the stove?!) or in a slow cooker or use the "oven as slow cooker". All work beautifully, it's your choice!

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SCANDINAVIAN SPLIT-PEA SOUP

Soaking time: Overnight
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 5 – 7 hours (needs occasional stirring)
Makes 18 cups

• 1 pound (454g) dried split peas (or whole dried peas), yellow or green
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 onions, diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 rib celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 leeks, white parts only, cut in 1” pieces
• 12 cups water

• 3 potatoes, skins on, diced (about 3 cups)
• 4 carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme (don't skip)
• 1 ham hock (for flavor) or ham shank (for meat), optional
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste

SOAK PEAS Rinse and drain peas in a colander. In an extra-large kettle, cover peas with cold water plus about three inches (in my big stockpot, that's almost 10 cups of soaking water, this lets the peas soak up lots of liquid) and soak overnight at room temperature. In the morning, drain peas and set aside. Rinse the kettle.

COOK PEAS In the kettle, heat olive oil until shimmery. Add the onions, celery and leeks and onions and sauté, stirring often, until deep gold in color (this step is important to the flavor, don't skip on the color). Add soaked peas and water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

SLOW SIMMER ON THE STOVE Add potatoes, carrots, thyme, ham hock or hank shank, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 3 – 5 more hours, stirring occasionally and checking for desired consistency. If it gets too thick, add hot water; if it seems too thin, remove the cover. The soup is done when the beans are soft.

~or~ OVEN AS "SLOW COOKER" (my favorite) After soaking, cook the peas in the oven at 220F/105C for about 90 minutes. Reduce the oven to 200F/100C. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and let cook in the oven for 4 - 6 hours.

~or ~ SLOW COOKER After soaking, cook the peas on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours, then add the remaining ingredients and cook for 4 - 6 hours on low. (Regular readers know I'm no fan of slow cookers because their performance varies so much. This is the timing that's worked for me.)

SERVE Remove ham hock and shred any meat into the soup, discarding the fat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

ALANNA's TIPS Make the soup a day or so before serving (or start early in the morning) for like many soups and stews, the flavors enhance when allowed to rest. Plus, do you find the cooking time for beans varies widely? Unless you’re ready to order a backup pizza for supper, this is another reason to make this soup in advance! UPDATE Here's why! Be sure to use fresh split peas. If you have a gas stove that's hard to set low enough to maintain a slow simmer, I really love using the oven as a "slow cooker" for this and other long-cook recipes. The results are perfect! To my taste, the leeks really make this soup, adding so much sweetness and richness without the usual "pound of bacon" that goes into other recipes for split-pea soup. Fresh are great, so are the frozen leeks from Trader Joe's, about 8 ounces for this recipe. Do clean the leeks thoroughly, otherwise they can be so gritty. I halve the bulbs lengthwise, then pull the layers apart beneath running water, using my fingers to wipe away the grit. (Here's a photo tutorial for how to clean leeks.) Do cook the onion, celery and leeks until a deep gold in color; this releases their natural sweetness and flavors the soup with only a bit of fat. I'm a "spice forward" cook so always question whether a mere 1/8 teaspoon of dried thyme will be enough. It often is! Other times, when the soup is done, I find myself adding another 1/8 teaspoon, it makes all the difference. Whatever you do, don't skip the thyme entirely. Skip the ham hock or ham shank if you want a vegetarian soup, it’s still delicious. Or move the other direction, adding a pile of browned ham to the soup for the last hour or so. Do add the salt and pepper after the beans are fully cooked; adding the salt earlier can make them tough. I've had great results substituting a multi-bean dried bean mix for dried split peas and sweet potatoes for white potatoes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup (assumes no ham): 99 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 212mg Sodium; 22g Carb; 8g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 7g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 0 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = 1 cup (7g protein).

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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