Description
Swedish Yellow Pea Soup is a comforting and hearty traditional dish made with dried yellow peas, vegetables, and ham. This slow-simmered soup features a rich, savory broth infused with thyme and black pepper, finished with a tangy dollop of mustard and optional fresh parsley garnish. Perfect for chilly days, this protein-packed soup serves 6 to 8 people and is ideal as a warming lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups dried yellow peas, rinsed and sorted
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups cooked ham, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- Salt to taste
For Serving
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Rinse and sort the yellow peas to remove any debris. This ensures your soup will have a clean texture and no unwanted particles.
- Combine in Pot: In a large pot, add the yellow peas, water or chicken broth, chopped onion, diced carrots, chopped celery, ham bone or diced ham, bay leaf, dried thyme, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cook Soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours. Cook until the peas are tender and have mostly broken apart, creating a thick stew-like consistency.
- Remove Ham Bone: If you used a ham bone, take it out of the pot once the peas are tender. Remove any meat from the bone, shred it finely, and stir it back into the soup. If you used diced ham instead, simply stir it in now.
- Season Soup: Taste the soup and add salt as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf used during cooking.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a dollop of mustard on top for a tangy contrast, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if desired. For a traditional accompaniment, serve with thin pancakes on the side.
Notes
- Using a ham bone adds a deep, smoky flavor to the soup, but diced cooked ham works well for convenience.
- Simmering the soup slowly over low heat helps the peas break down and thicken the broth naturally.
- Mustard is a traditional condiment for Swedish yellow pea soup and adds a nice tanginess—feel free to adjust quantity to taste.
- This soup freezes well, making it great for meal prep or leftovers.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead.
- Optional thin pancakes, commonly called ‘pannkakor’ in Sweden, complement the soup beautifully if you want a full traditional meal.
