Gule Ærter (Gule ærter)
Overview
Gule ærter is the traditional Danish yellow pea soup. Yellow split peas are simmered with onion and thyme until they cook down into a thick, smooth soup, while a piece of lightly salted pork belly is boiled separately with carrots, leek, celeriac and potatoes. The vegetables are diced and added to the soup, and the meat is served on a plate beside it with slices of medisterpølse, a spiced pork sausage, strong mustard and rye bread. Some families eat the soup first and the meat afterwards. It is hearty, savoury and filling.
History
Gule ærter is an old winter dish of Danish farmhouses, made when pork was salted after the autumn slaughter and dried peas were stored for the cold months. It is closely linked to Thursday in the old Danish week, a custom shared with the pea soup of Sweden, and to cold winter days generally. Many Danes eat it with a glass of aquavit and beer, and it is still served at lunch restaurants and in homes from October to March.
Main ingredients
Yellow split peas, salted pork belly, medisterpølse sausage, carrots, leek, thyme. The soup is built on split pea purée with pork broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · Leek soups · More soups from Denmark
Recipe
Method
- 11 h 30 min 30 min
Simmer the pork belly in 3 l water for 1 hour 30 minutes, adding the carrots, leek, celeriac and potatoes for the last 30 minutes.
- 21 h
Meanwhile cook the split peas with the onion, thyme and 1.5 l of the pork broth for 1 hour, until soft.
- 3
Whisk the peas smooth and add the diced vegetables.
- 4
Heat the sausage in the remaining broth.
- 5
Serve the soup with sliced pork and sausage, mustard and rye bread on the side.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 50m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
