Dutch split pea soup recipe also called snert

Snert is a split pea soup closely linked to weather conditions. We eat the soup when it's 'snert weather' usually meaning wintry cold and wet either in the form of snow or in most cases rain. When iceskating in the Netherlands, snert is never far away (look for Koek-en-Zopie stalls on or near the ice).
The soup is very thick and best made in large quantities the day before you plan to eat it. As the soup pan can be quite big, put a lid on it and keep it in the shed or garage (assuming that it's cold of course).

It takes a while to make but not much effort. Give it a try, it's really good!

Dutch split pea soup

Makes enough for at least 6 people,
if that's too much you can easily half the recipe

Snert! One of the thickest soups you'll ever eat.

Ingredients:
900 grams (4 cups) split peas
2 medium sized leeks
2 medium onions
2 wintercarrots (at least that is what they are called here, it's the thick dense type)
1/2 celeriac
5 stems of celery leaves
2 laurel leaves
1 kilo (about 2 pounds) pork belly
2 smoked sausages 
salt and pepper


Put four liters (a gallon) of water in a large soup pan. Add the pork belly and pour the peas on top of it. Also add the laurel leaves. Bring to a boil.

After about ten minutes of boiling on medium heat, scoop the froth off.
Boil on the lowest heat possible for an hour. Give it a good stir once in a while.

In the meantime, roughly cut the leeks, onions, carrots, celeriac and celery.

After the hour remove the pork and cut into cubes. Also remove the laurel leaves.
Add the pork and vegetables and cook the soup another 30 minutes. Stir sporadically.

Season the soup with pepper and salt (unless the pork belly was salted, then do not add any more).
Slice the smoked sausages and add to the soup 5 minutes before the timer goes off.

Leave the soup to settle overnight. If your wooden spoon can stand upright in it the next morning, you did it perfectly! :)

Serve hot with rye bread topped with smoked bacon or cheese.

The soup will keep in the fridge for a couple of days but you can also freeze it really well.

Enjoy!