Snert (Dutch Split Pea Soup)

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 166 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Split peas simmered with gammon, pork belly, and smoked sausage make for a thick and hearty soup, known as snert in the Netherlands.

Ingredients

1 pound bone-in gammon (cured pork leg)
2 (14 ounce) bags dried split peas
8 ounces pork belly
1 small celeriac (celery root), peeled and chopped
2 leeks, sliced into 1/2-inch rings
2 small onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 smoked sausage
1 bunch fresh celery leaves, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1 Place gammon in a large pot; cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add split peas and pork belly; simmer for 10 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface of the water.
2 Transfer gammon and pork belly to a plate using a slotted spoon. Strain split peas through a sieve, discarding water.
3 Place gammon, split peas, and pork belly back into the pot; cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently until gammon and pork belly are tender, 2 to 3 hours.
4 Transfer gammon and pork belly to a plate using a slotted spoon; cool until easily handled, about 10 minutes. Remove gammon from the bone and slice. Slice the meatiest parts off the pork belly.
5 Stir the chopped meat back into the pot. Add celeriac, leeks, onions, and carrot; simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Add whole sausage link; simmer until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove sausage link and slice into small pieces; stir back into the soup.
6 Sprinkle celery leaves, salt, and pepper over soup. Simmer until celery leaves are warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.