Description
Swedish Yellow Pea Soup, or ‘Ärtsoppa,’ is a hearty and comforting dish made with yellow peas, ham, and spices. Traditionally enjoyed on Thursdays in Sweden, it’s often served with a dollop of mustard and a side of thin pancakes. This soup is perfect for cold days and is full of rich flavor and nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups dried yellow peas, rinsed and sorted
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups cooked ham, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon mustard (for serving)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the yellow peas to remove any debris. In a large pot, add the peas, water or chicken broth, onion, carrots, celery, ham bone (or diced ham), bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the soup simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the peas are tender and have broken apart.
- If using a ham bone, remove it from the soup once the peas are tender. Remove any meat from the bone, shred it, and return the meat to the soup. If using diced ham, simply stir it in after cooking.
- Season the soup with salt to taste and discard the bay leaf.
- Serve the soup hot with a dollop of mustard on top. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve with thin pancakes (optional) on the side.
Notes
- This soup is traditionally served with Swedish pancakes, but you can serve it with crusty bread if preferred.
- If you prefer a vegetarian version, omit the ham bone and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- The soup can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Swedish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: undefined
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: undefined
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: undefined
- Trans Fat: undefined
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: undefined