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5 from 8 votes
By Hank Shaw
February 05, 2024
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Artsoppa, Swedish pea soup, is the most famous yellow pea soup recipe, although variations exist all over Scandinavia. This is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, winter meal.
I grew up with a green split pea version of this soup, but it was not a good memory. For whatever reason, my mom would always oversalt this soup, rendering it so salty as to be inedible. I never did learn why, but suffice to say for decades I hated pea soup.
Then I had my first yellow pea soup. My mom’s adopted family was of Swedish descent, so you’d think that hers would be a Swedish pea soup, but hers was thin and smooth. A proper artsoppa has stuff in it: Vegetables, shredded ham hock, herbs.
My version of yellow pea soup is largely Swedish, but variations exist all over northern Europe, and especially Scandinavia. Some Icelandic versions use smoked mutton or lamb, some use pork or beef ribs, I saw one that uses smoked reindeer, so adding, say, a smoked venison shank would work.
If you’re going to make a yellow pea soup, you need yellow peas. Duh. These are dried, beige peas that are usually sold whole, although they split naturally. I’ve seen them in some supermarkets, and, oddly, they are widely grown in Arizona and Mexico by the Tohono O’Odham.
You can also buy yellow peas online, or use the more common dried green peas.
Winter is the time for yellow pea soup. This is a thick, hearty, warming soup that will vanquish the chill when it’s below zero outside, as it often is in a Minnesota winter.
My rendition of artsoppa uses a ham hock, lots of root vegetables, somem herbs and black pepper at the end.
A smoked thing is important for flavor. Smoked pork is most common, but smoked mutton or venison shows up here and there. A more common and modern alternative would be to use smoked turkey wings or legs for your soup.
Side note: If you want to make your yellow pea soup vegetarian, season it with smoked salt. That will get you close to the real flavor without the smoked meats.
Making Swedish Yellow Pea Soup
You make yellow pea soup in two stages: The smoked meats and peas, with some aromatics, then use that as a soup base for the finished artsoppa.
This first step, simmering the meat with the peas, along with maybe a slice of onion, bay leaves or some dried thyme, can be done well in advance — up to a week if needed. You simmer until everything is tender, pull the meat and remove any bones, and chop, discard bay leaves and puree the peas.
Everyone purees the peas in Swedish pea soup differently. Some don’t at all, some puree all of them, or, you can do what I do and puree about half. I use an immersion blender and stop when the mixture is creamy looking, but there are still a few peas here and there.
A note on pork skin. If you use a ham hock, there will be lots of smoky skin. It will get gooshy (technical term), so I mince it very fine, and sometimes discard a portion of it. You want some minced skin in there because it adds body to the soup.
You finish a yellow pea soup with vegetables, usually root veg. I prefer a mix of carrots, celery root and rutabaga, but you could use potatoes, parsnips, parsley root, golden beets, etc.
A bit of fresh parsley and black pepper at the end brightens things up nicely.
Serving and Storing
You can of course serve Swedish pea soup as a main course, which I do on weeknights. When I do this, I typically will eat it with a slice of homemade rye bread — any nice bread will work.
But if you wanted to make artsoppa part of a wider Scandinavian feast, you might serve it in between a roast and, say, Swedish meatballs, or Swedish potato dumplings. If you wanted to vary things, pike meatballs are a good, lighter option for a starter.
Once made, yellow pea soup keeps for 10 days in the fridge and it freezes beautifully.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below; I’d love to hear how everything went. If you’re on Instagram, share a picture and tag me athuntgathercook.
5 from 8 votes
Swedish Yellow Pea Soup
There are lots of variations on this classic Scandinavian recipe, which you can see in the notes above. It's a simple soup that fills you up in winter.
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Course: Appetizer, lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried yellow peas
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ham hock
- 1 quart chicken or game stock (optional)
- 1 leek, diced (or 1 large yellow onion)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups celery root, peeled and diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 cup rutabaga peeled and diced small
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Soup Base. Put the peas, bay leaves and the ham hock in a soup pot and cover with water by about 2 inches – you want roughly 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring this to a simmer and cook gently, partially covered, until the peas are tender and the ham hock is starting to fall off the bone, about 2 hours.
Discard the bay leaves. Fish out the ham hock and discard the bones. Separate the meat from the skin. Chop the meat roughly. Mince the skin; use at least half of it, as it adds a lot of body to the soup.
If you want, puree some or all of the peas. I use an immersion blender, but you could put some of the peas into a regular blender and puree. Be careful, since blending hot things can be dangerous. Hold down the top on the blender when you puree. (All of these first steps can be done several days in advance.)
Finish the Soup. Return the meat to the pot with the peas. Add the optional stock, the thyme, root vegetables, and leek. Bring to a simmer and taste. It might need salt. Simmer this gently until the root vegetables are all tender. It's OK if a few start to break down – it just makes the soup better.
When the vegetables are all tender, add the parsley and black pepper and serve the soup with bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 912mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2940IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Categorized as:
Featured, Recipe, Scandinavian
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Swedish Yellow Pea Soup
Swedish yellow pea soup, also known as artsoppa, is a traditional Scandinavian dish that is particularly popular in Sweden. It is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, winter meal that is typically made with yellow peas, smoked meats, and a variety of root vegetables. The soup is known for its rich and comforting flavors, making it a staple during the cold winter months in Scandinavia.
Key Ingredients:
- Dried Yellow Peas: The main ingredient in Swedish yellow pea soup is dried yellow peas, which are simmered with smoked meats to create a flavorful base for the soup.
- Smoked Meats: Traditional variations of the soup often include smoked ham hock, smoked mutton, or smoked venison to add depth and smoky flavor to the dish.
- Root Vegetables: The soup is typically finished with a mix of root vegetables such as carrots, celery root, and rutabaga, adding texture and earthy flavors to the dish.
- Aromatics and Herbs: Additional flavor is derived from aromatics such as leeks or onions, as well as herbs like dried thyme and fresh parsley.
Preparation and Serving:
- The soup is prepared in two stages, starting with simmering the smoked meats and peas with aromatics, followed by the addition of root vegetables and herbs to create the finished artsoppa.
- Swedish yellow pea soup can be served as a main course, often accompanied by a slice of homemade rye bread. It can also be part of a wider Scandinavian feast, served alongside dishes like Swedish meatballs or potato dumplings.
Storage and Freezing:
- Once prepared, Swedish yellow pea soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 10 days and freezes beautifully, making it a convenient make-ahead meal option for the winter season.
Recipe for Swedish Yellow Pea Soup
Here's a basic recipe for Swedish yellow pea soup, which captures the essence of this classic Scandinavian dish:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried yellow peas
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ham hock
- 1 quart chicken or game stock (optional)
- 1 leek, diced (or 1 large yellow onion)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups celery root, peeled and diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 cup rutabaga, peeled and diced small
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Put the peas, bay leaves, and the ham hock in a soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the peas are tender and the ham hock is starting to fall off the bone, about 2 hours. Discard the bay leaves.
2. Remove the ham hock, separate the meat from the skin, and chop the meat roughly. Mince the skin and add at least half of it back to the pot.
3. Puree some or all of the peas using an immersion blender until the mixture is creamy looking, but with a few peas remaining.
4. Return the meat to the pot with the peas. Add the optional stock, thyme, root vegetables, and leek. Simmer gently until the root vegetables are tender.
5. Add the minced parsley and black pepper to taste before serving the soup with bread.
Nutrition Information (per serving):
- Calories: 293kcal
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Protein: 22g
- Fat: 6g
- Fiber: 14g
- Vitamin A: 2940IU
- Vitamin C: 13mg
- Calcium: 77mg
- Iron: 4mgThis recipe captures the essence of traditional Swedish yellow pea soup and can be customized with variations based on personal preferences and ingredient availability.
