Erwtensoep (Snert)

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups green split peas, rinsed
• 6 cups water or stock
• 6 oz smoked sausage, sliced
• 4 oz bacon, diced
• 1 Leek, sliced and washed
• 1 cup Celery Root, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 potato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• Rye bread, for serving

Method

1. Render the bacon in a soup pot, then add the split peas, water, and bay leaf. Simmer 45 minutes, skimming, until the peas start to break down.
2. Add the Leek, Celery Root, carrot, and potato, and simmer another 25–30 minutes until everything is soft and the soup has gone thick and murky-green in the best way.
3. Fish out the bay leaf and mash or whisk briefly — snert should be nearly porridge. A spoon planted upright should hesitate before falling.
4. Add the sausage to warm through, season with salt and pepper, and rest 10 minutes; it thickens further as it stands.
5. Serve with dark rye. Tastes even better tomorrow, which the Dutch consider a feature, not a tip.