4.9 from 39 votes
Swedish Yellow Pea Soup
There are lots of variations on this classic Scandinavian recipe, which you can see in the notes above. It's a simple soup that fills you up in winter.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 293 kcal
Course:
Main Course , Appetizer , Soup , Lunch
Cuisine:
Scandinavian
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried yellow peas
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ham hock
- 1 quart chicken or game stock (optional)
- 1 leek, diced (or 1 large yellow onion)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups celery root, peeled and diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 cup rutabaga peeled and diced small
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Soup Base. Put the peas, bay leaves and the ham hock in a soup pot and cover with water by about 2 inches - you want roughly 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring this to a simmer and cook gently, partially covered, until the peas are tender and the ham hock is starting to fall off the bone, about 2 hours.
- Discard the bay leaves. Fish out the ham hock and discard the bones. Separate the meat from the skin. Chop the meat roughly. Mince the skin; use at least half of it, as it adds a lot of body to the soup.
- If you want, puree some or all of the peas. I use an immersion blender, but you could put some of the peas into a regular blender and puree. Be careful, since blending hot things can be dangerous. Hold down the top on the blender when you puree. (All of these first steps can be done several days in advance.)
- Finish the Soup. Return the meat to the pot with the peas. Add the optional stock, the thyme, root vegetables, and leek. Bring to a simmer and taste. It might need salt. Simmer this gently until the root vegetables are all tender. It's OK if a few start to break down - it just makes the soup better.
- When the vegetables are all tender, add the parsley and black pepper and serve the soup with bread.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
293kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
39g
(13%)
Protein
22g
(44%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
Cholesterol
23mg
(8%)
Sodium
151mg
(6%)
Potassium
912mg
(26%)
Fiber
14g
(56%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
2940IU
(59%)
Vitamin C
13mg
(14%)
Calcium
77mg
(8%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 293kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 23mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 151mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 912mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 14g | 56% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 2940IU | 59% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.