Dutch pea soup with smoked sausage and gammon is a traditional dish served as the weather begins to get extremely cold in the middle of the winter. Dutch pea soup with smoked sausage and gammon (ham) is commonly sold by street vendors in the coldest months in places where large crowds gather, such as ice skating rinks and outside concerts. Considered something of a Dutch comfort food, this soup recipe makes an excellent meal on a cold evening, especially when served with a loaf of hearty rye bread and mustard and cold, crisp brown ale.
Instructions
1. Place the peas in a strainer and rinse with cold running water for 2-3 minutes. Put them in a large saucepan, add 11 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove any scum that rises to the surface with a spatula or slotted spoon.
2. Add the gammon, spareribs, pig's foot and bacon to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mixture over low heat for 3 ¼ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the bacon, dice and set aside.
3. Add the celeriac, half of the celery leaves, leeks and carrots to the soup. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but retain some bite.
4. Put the smoked sausage in a sauté pan and add enough warm water to just cover it. Poach over very low heat for 20-24 minutes.
5. Remove the meat from the large saucepan using a slotted spoon. Cut the meat off the bones and return it to the saucepan. Add the sausage to the soup.
6. Transfer the soup to individual serving bowls and garnish each one with the remaining celery leaves and the reserved bacon.
Tags: smoked sausage, celery leaves, Dutch soup, large saucepan, over heat, sausage gammon
