Dutch Food: Split Pea Soup (Erwtensoep, Snert)

The basic ingredients in vegan erwtensoep: split peas, leeks, carrots, and celeriac

In my quest to discover the joys of Dutch cuisine since moving to the Netherlands 4 months ago,  I've attempted to "veganize" several traditional Dutch soups (for example, see my previous post about bruine bonensoep).

One of my favorite soups - split pea -  is known as "erwtensoep" or "snert" here in the Netherlands, and is considered a typical Dutch food.  Traditional recipes for erwtensoep call for Dutch rookworst (a type of sausage) and/or bacon (see, for example, this Albert Heijn recipe).  As sausage and bacon are definitely not vegan, I've made my soup with tamari-marinated seitan (wheat gluten) that is sauteed with veggies, olive oil, and cumin, in order to add some of the flavor, texture, and fat that would be provided by the meat.  You can leave out the seitan if you are uncertain about it, but I think you'll miss out on the texture.

Tamari-marinated seitan for erwtensoep

After making erwtensoep a few times, it's become my go-to meal when I need a warm, hearty lunch or dinner. This very thick soup is an excellent winter dish, and it will hold up pretty well in the fridge for a couple of days.  

Here's my recipe:

Vegan Erwtensoep
(makes 8 servings)
Ingredients:
500 grams (about 2 cups) dried green split peas, rinsed
3 pints (about 6 cups) water
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
400 grams (about 2 cups) seitan, diced (you can find this in a shelf-stable jar, as seen above, or in the refrigerated section near the tofu at most health food stores)
45 ml (3 tablespoons) olive oil
1 small celery root (a.k.a. celeriac), peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium leek, sliced
5 ml (1 teaspoon) thyme
5 ml (1 teaspoon) cumin
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch (about 3 tablespoons) fresh celery leaves, chopped
1 small bunch (about 3 tablespoons) parsley leaves, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a large soup pot, sauté the seitan, carrot, leek, celery root, and cumin in the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes. 
Add the water, split peas, vegetarian bouillon, thyme, and bay leaves.  Mix well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After about 75 minutes, the split peas, celery root, and carrot should be very mushy. If the split peas and veggies are still firm, continue simmering until soft.
When the split peas and veggies have softened, use a large wooden spoon or potato masher to carefully mash them together, breaking apart the split peas and veggies that have retained their shape.  Mix in the chopped celery leaves and parsley, and allow to simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Before serving, remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

I like to serve my erwtensoep with a thick slice of whole wheat bread spread with a thin layer of mustard, or a simple salad of greens tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Simmering erwtensoep: this vegetarian version includes seitan instead of sausage

Dutch Food: Rodekool Met Appeltjes

Happy New Year!  Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

One of my favorite traditions on New Year's Day while I was growing up in Ohio was to gather the family together for a feast of sauerkraut and pork (in my case, the pork was substituted with beans or tofu).

So, this time of year, my mind often turns to cooking up a large pot of cabbage. While the Dutch eat sauerkraut ("zuurkool"), they also use cabbage in another very yummy, typical Dutch dish called "rodekool met appeltjes" (red cabbage with apples).

Rodekool met appeltjes, plated next to quinoa

I've made rodekool met appeltjes several times since moving to the Netherlands because it's a tasty and easy recipe that's just a little bit time consuming.  While I could eat it pre-made out of one of the jars or plastic sacks that are ubiquitous in the markets here, I strongly prefer the flavor of the home-made version.

Rodekool met appeltjes, simmering

Here's my recipe for rode kool met appeltjes:

Vegan Rodekool met Appeltjes
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
vegetable oil
1/2 medium red onion OR 1 medium shallot (peeled and roughly chopped)
1/2 large red cabbage (thinly sliced)
water
2 large red apples (peeled, cored, and roughly chopped)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons brown sugar OR 1 teaspoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
lemon zest (approximately 1/2 lemon)
2 teaspoons corn starch
optional: handful of raisins or currants

Instructions:
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in a thin layer of vegetable oil until the onion is translucent. Add the sliced cabbage, mix into the onion and oil, and sauté until it begins to wilt (about 5 to 10 minutes). Add just enough water to barely cover the cabbage.  Add the apples, bay leaf, spices, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, and raisins or currants (if using). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for about 1 hour.  After about an hour, scoop out approximately 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl and whisk with the corn starch.  Add the corn starch mixture back to the soup pot and cook for another 10 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.

Enjoy!