Tag: #bacon

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It’s delicious at cold days in having a Dutch Pea Soup

It’s delicious at cold days in having a Dutch Pea soup. We call it in Dutch “Hollandse erwtensoup”. This thick and hearty soup is a beloved staple in Dutch cuisine, traditionally enjoyed during the chilly winter months. Made with tender peas, smoky Gelderse rookworst, and an array of fresh vegetables, it’s a dish that warms both the heart and soul.

Each spoonful offers a perfect blend of textures and flavors, making it a cozy comfort food that’s perfect for those days. Whether you’re savoring it by the fireplace or sharing it with friend and family, Hollandse erwtensoup is sure to bring warmth and cheer to any occasion🍲✨

Cooking time 4 portions: ~60 minutes

Ingredients & Tools

  • 300gr green split peas
  • 1x leek – we only need the white stalk
  • 1x onion
  • 1x big carrot
  • 3x potatoes or use ¼ celeriac. In Dutch it is knolselderij
  • 2-3 stalks celery
  • 3x laurel/bay leaves
  • 200gr small cube bacon pieces
  • 1x Dutch Gelderse rookworst, a Dutch type of smoked sausage e.g. from the brand Unox
  • 1x chicken stock block
  • 1x big soup pan
  • Optional: bread

What to do?

  1. Soak the peas overnight to soften them. Some brands may require soaking for 2 days to soften them. How to know if they are soft enough? You can give them a gentle squeeze. If they yield easily without feeling hard or grainy, they are ready to go. It’s like checking avocados for ripeness, but less hipster and more practical.
  2. ————- Next Day ————-
  3. Do not discard the pea water.
  4. Put the peas, bacon, laurel leaves and a splash of pea water into the pan, and bring it to boil. The water level should be 2 cm above the top of the ingredients. Add boiled water if needed.
  5. Remove the foam and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the peas are soft.
  6. Stir the soup regularly to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
  7. If they are not soft yet or easy to smash, then simmer the peas longer until they are. Add a bit of boiled water if needed to keep the liquid level right.
  8. ————-  Vegetables ————-
  9. Once the peas have transformed into a cloudy creamy soup consistency, we are ready for the vegetables.
  10. Cut up all the vegetables into small bite sizes and add them to the pan.
  11. Add the bouillon block as well.
  12. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  
  13. You can add boiled water to achieve the soup consistency you prefer. However, the Dutch pea soup should be thicker than fluid.
  14. ————-  At the end ————-
  15. Slice the Dutch Gelderse sausage thin, into nice bite-size pieces.
  16. Once the soup consistency is right and the vegetables are tender, add the sausage and simmer for about 10min.
  17. Your soup is ready to serve.

A hearty slice of bread pairs deliciously with Dutch pea soup, like a trusty companion ready to soak up every drop of the velvety goodness.

Bon appétit! Enjoy your traditiona Hollandse erwtensoep 🙂

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Serbian Style Stuffed Tomato

Another virtual get-together dinner and this time no take-away but cooking a Serbian dish. Original recipe is with stuffed paprika but as I have paprika allergy, a Serbian friend advised to replace with giant tomatoes. My friends will cook paprika and I got 3 tomatoes. Third one is just in case if two is not enough 😁

Serves 1P and cooking time 1:30-2hrs

Ingredients

  • 3x giant tomatoes (or 2x paprika/bell pepper/pepper)
  • 1x shallot chopped
  • 2x garlic cloves pressed
  • 1x carrot chopped 
  • 1x slice bacon (about 70gr) – cut in pieces and remove fatty parts
  • 1Tbsp olive oil
  • 300gr ground beef or mix 200gr ground beef + 100gr ground pork. Personally, I like to avoid too much pork. As there is bacon, I took only beef.
  • 1x bay leave
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup white rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ cup water
  • (When you cook with paprika, dice 1x tomato. Pulp and all will be used for sauce) 
  • ————- Kitchen Tools ————- 
  • Medium measure spoon to hollow tomato, edges are sharper then a regular table spoon.
  • 1 medium bowl
  • 1x deep oven dish
  • 1x frying pan
  • Aluminium foil

What to do?

  1. Pre-heat oven on fan 230°C
  2. Cut the top off the tomato. Keep the top for later to use as lid on tomato.
  3. Scoop the pulp and seeds out in a bowl by using a knife and spoon. Keep the pulp for later.
  4. Chop 1 shallot, chop 1 carrot and press 2 garlic cloves.
  5. Cut bacon in small pieces.
  6. Heat pan with 1Tbsp olive oil. Add bacon.
  7. When bacon starts to cook, add shallot, carrot and garlic.
  9. Stir for a few minutes.
  10. Add 300gram beef, 1 bay leave and salt to taste.
  11. Stir the meat until small lumps.
  12. When meat looks cooked, add ½ cup rice. Mix together for a 5min.
  14. Switch off cooking plate.
  15. Remove bay leave.
  16. Fill up the tomatoes and close it with the tomato top.
  17. Put tomatoes in oven dish.
  18. ————- Sauce ————-
  19. Re-use the frying pan without washing.
  20. Just remove remaining food in pan.
  21. Turn heat on. Add ½ cup wine, ½ cup water and add 1 cup tomato pulp. I store the leftover pulp in the fridge for something else e.g. soup, pasta sauce.
  23. When everything is mixed, pour the sauce in oven dish. Ideally is to bath the tomatoes in ~3cm sauce. If not enough sauce, then add some water.
  24. Cover the dish with aluminium foil. Put dish for 45min in oven.
  25. Take dish out and keep oven on.
  26. Remove foil and pour sauce over tomatoes. If there is too much liquid in the dish, then take some liquid out until ~1cm for the tomatoes too bath in. 
  28. Cook for another 15min in oven without foil.

Finally: serve tomatoes with a simple salad on the side.

My tomatoes got very soft and burst a bit open because of the long cooking time. You need this time in letting the rice cook and letting the flavours flourish.

Three Styles

Prijatno! Hajde, navali! Dobar apetit!

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