Erwtensoep is a thick pea soup – so thick that some say you should be able to leave a spoon standing up in it – and it’s really a meal in itself. This top Dutch food is made from dried split green peas and other vegetables, such as celery or celeriac, onions, leeks, carrots and potatoes, plus different cuts of pork.Slices of smoked sausage are added just before serving, and it’s commonly accompanied by a piece of rye bread (roggebrood) topped with a type of smoked bacon called katenspek, cheese and butter. Erwtensoep is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day but it’s welcome on any cold winter day.
