Snert

Snert is a thick Dutch split pea soup made with split peas, pork, winter vegetables and smoked sausage. A pig’s trotter and pork ribs give the soup extra flavour and natural body. The soup becomes even thicker after standing overnight in the refrigerator.

Serves: 6–8 people
Preparation: approximately 20 minutes
Resting time: preferably 1 night in the refrigerator
Cooking time: approximately 3–3½ hours
Total time: approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes–3 hours and 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g dried green split peas
• 2 litres water, plus extra hot water if necessary
• 1 unsalted pig’s trotter
• 500 g pork ribs
• 150–200 g streaky bacon, in one piece
• 2 bay leaves
• 5–8 black peppercorns
• 1 large onion
• 2–3 leeks
• 2 large carrots
• ½ celeriac of approximately 300–400 g
• 1 smoked sausage of approximately 250–300 g
• 20–25 g celery leaves
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Rinse the split peas
   Put the split peas in a sieve and rinse them under cold running water.
2. Prepare the meat
   Briefly rinse the pig’s trotter under cold water.
3. Cut the vegetables
   Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and cut them into slices. Peel the celeriac and cut it into small cubes. Clean the leeks thoroughly and cut them into rings.
4. Chop the celery leaves
   Wash the celery leaves, roughly chop them and set them aside for finishing the soup.

Method

1. Start the soup
   Put the split peas, water, pig’s trotter, pork ribs, bacon, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large soup pot. Slowly bring everything to the boil.
2. Skim the soup
   Use a slotted spoon to remove the foam that rises to the surface during the first 10–15 minutes.
3. Cook the meat and split peas
   Reduce the heat to low and place the lid slightly askew on the pot. Simmer the soup very gently for approximately 2–2½ hours. Stir regularly across the bottom, especially when the split peas begin to break down. Add a little hot water only if the soup thickens too much before the meat is cooked.
4. Add the vegetables
   Add the onion, carrots and celeriac and simmer the soup gently for another approximately 30 minutes.
5. Add the leeks
   Add the leeks and simmer the soup gently for another 20–30 minutes. Stir regularly. By now, the split peas should have completely broken down and the soup should be noticeably thick.
6. Remove the meat from the soup
   Remove the pig’s trotter, pork ribs and bacon from the pot. Also remove the bay leaves and as many of the peppercorns as possible.
7. Prepare the meat
   Remove the meat from the ribs and carefully remove all the bones. Remove the tender meat from the pig’s trotter and, if desired, use the soft skin and connective tissue as well. Cut the bacon into small cubes.
8. Return the meat to the soup
   Return the meat and bacon to the soup and stir everything together thoroughly.
9. Heat the smoked sausage
   Heat the smoked sausage according to the instructions on the packaging. Then cut it into slices and add them to the soup.
10. Finish the snert
    Stir the celery leaves into the soup. Taste and season with freshly ground black pepper and salt only if necessary. Bear in mind the salt from the bacon and smoked sausage.
11. Cool the snert quickly
    If you want to serve the soup the following day, cool it as quickly as possible. For example, place the pot in cold water and stir regularly, or divide the soup between smaller containers. Place the snert, well covered, in the refrigerator within 2 hours.
12. Reheat the snert
    The following day, slowly reheat the snert while stirring until it is piping hot throughout. Add a little water at a time if the soup has become too thick.
13. Serve the snert
    Ladle the snert piping hot into deep bowls, making sure each portion contains meat, vegetables and smoked sausage.