Kitchen Throwdown: Dutch Split Pea Vs. "Dutch" Lentil Soup

Note: This is the 1st in a weekly series. Find out more here.

Round 1: Politiek Correcte Dutch Red Lentil Soup vs. Dutch Pea Soup aka Erwtensoep aka Snert

New York was entombed in the ice of a half dozen consecutive snowfalls on a recent February afternoon picked for the 1st in a series of cook-offs to which I’d challenged blogger and celebrity chef top quality-inspector Eddie McNamara.

It was a day for thick soup.

Ed went with a “Dutch” red lentil soup – so-referred to as because of his use of smoked gouda and tempeh, Indonesia’s gift to the planet of desperate protein-substitute-hunting hippies who hold the versatility of the soy bean second in regard only to hemp. It was the two a meal and a meditation on the excesses of Dutch imperialism. With kale, because vegetarians.

‘Dutch’ lentil soup vs. classic Dutch pea soup, or snert. Photo: John Giuffo

Given that Eddie is representing for lacto-ovos (sorry vegans and purists – ain’t no winning cooking battles without having butter or cheese), plenty of carrots, yams, celery, and onion had been added to what he would later blend into a single damn fine, properly-spiced paste that would be welcome in the bowls of each vegetarians steeling themselves for the excesses of polar vortexes and the Styrofoam cups on the plastic lunch trays of your a lot more adventurous nursing residence residents. No massive pieces for the attorneys to worry about hell, depart your teeth in the Efferdent. Of course, nursing residence kitchen managers might want to skip the kale chips and toasted almonds, to stay away from choking and possessing to clarify continuously what kale is to previous folks.

But the place Ed’s flawlessly-seasoned vibrant-orange soylent was a small too keen to please, my Dutch pea soup was much more difficult – surely in the coronary sense. In an energy to remain near to the much more ambitious versions of the authentic, I utilised 3 sorts of pork: pancetta, pork chops, and smoked kielbasa – a essential go-to since the Gelderse rookworst – Dutch smoked sausage from Gelderland – is relatively difficult to come by in these parts.

Get in touch with it Erwtensoep, get in touch with it snert…actually, get in touch with it snert, since it is both way much more fun-sounding and easier to pronounce – both way, it is one thing near to a nationwide dish in the Netherlands – a nation that is decidedly not identified for its culinary innovations. Classic Dutch cooking entails a good deal of stews and variations on the fried croquette.

Their pea soup, on the other hand, is a dish they can be proud of. It’s served all over the place in the colder months, and even occasionally canalside at pop-up stands when the canals freeze more than and absolutely everyone straps on their ice skates. It is frequently accompanied by a thin slice of dark rye bread or pumpernickel, with a wafer of smoked bacon on prime.

Grab your largest stock pot, and commence with a regular sixteen oz. bundle of green split peas, boiled as instructed but swapping out half the water for beef stock.

Now that the peas are going, throw a couple tablespoons of butter into a saucepan and add two diced onions, two diced garlic cloves, and a sliced leek – those disks will quickly turn into strips and then melt into the soup. After the onions and leek soften, add about a dozen sliced carrots, and half a dozen sliced celery stalks. Simmer on reduced for about five minutes, stir constantly, due to the fact that is butter. Season with kosher salt, freshly-ground pepper, and smoked Spanish paprika to taste. I use a handful of teaspoons of every single, depending on mood – but it’s hard to use also significantly smoked paprika. I’m convinced it does half the lifting in this soup.

Whilst that’s going, dice a pound of pancetta and two pork chops, toss a tablespoon of butter into a frying pan, and add the diced pork. Season with more smoked Spanish paprika. You heard that right. Also kosher or sea salt, and fresh pepper.

Dutch pea soup is normally served dark rye or pumpernickel, and hunk of the smoked sausage you’ve sliced into the soup itself. Photo: John Giuffo

Grab the simmering vegetables and scoop every little thing into the stock pot. Back to the meat: Sear on medium higher for a couple of minutes right up until the chops start off to char, then scoop the contents of the whole pan into your stock pot – all that delightful rendered pork juice requirements to cook into people peas.

Put the pan right back on a higher heat and brown the smoked kielbasa, three minutes or so on each side or till brown. Consider it off the heat and slice into oval pieces, then add the slices to the soup.

Pretty quickly, the peas will start to break down and the soup will thicken. Stir often on a medium reduced flame. The goal with Dutch pea soup is to be ready to stick your spoon into the center of the bowl and have it stand straight up. Maintain a cup or two of added stock helpful, nonetheless – these peas can get thick, and you want to be able to preserve the soup boiling so that the pancetta virtually melts into the peas.

Kitchen Throwdown: Dutch Split Pea Vs. "Dutch" Lentil Soup