SWEDISH YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP
I first ate this while working on a ship in Norway. The crew (including, importantly, the cook) was predominantly Swedish. There are various recipes for this soup to be found, but this one comes courtesy of my dear — and thoroughly Swedish — friend Anders and has been passed down through his family for generations.
Serves 4
● 500g (1lb 2oz) yellow split peas
● 2ltr (3½pt) ham stock
● 300g (10½oz) ham
● 1 onion, finely chopped
● A few sprigs of thyme (or ½tsp dried thyme)
● 1 bay leaf
Soak the yellow split peas in lots of water overnight. Remove the dried floating shells and then drain. (Not all yellow peas need soaking, so you might be able to miss this bit out — check the instructions on the packet.) When ready to cook, put your ham stock into a big pot with the peas, the ham (cut or shredded into good-sized chunks), the onion, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, remove the foam that forms on the surface, and then let it gently simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick, you can add water to get the consistency you like, but Anders’s family likes it fairly thick, as do I. More stew than soup.