Hernekeitto (Finnish Pea Soup)
“A thick, savory soup of yellow split peas simmered with a piece of pork until the peas collapse into a hearty puree. Finished with mustard at the table, it is the traditional Thursday lunch across Finland, served with oven pancake for dessert.”
Where it comes from
Hernekeitto is the old Finnish pea soup eaten on Thursdays, a habit born of the Catholic Friday fast that long outlived the Reformation. The Finnish Defence Forces still serve it every Thursday, traditionally followed by oven pancake.
On the plate
Thick and velvety, the soup tastes earthy and deeply savory from the pork, with a faint sweetness from the peas. A dab of sharp mustard lifts each spoonful with bright heat. It is humble, filling, and warming on a cold day.
How it works
Long simmering breaks down the peas' starches and proteins so they thicken the broth naturally without any added flour. Cooking the pork in the soup renders fat and gelatin that give body and savory depth.
Variations
Made with whole or split green peas, vegetarian without pork, smoked ham hock instead of salt pork, with sausage added
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓25 min active · 120 min waiting
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓- 110 min
Soak dried yellow split peas in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain.
- 25 min
Place the peas in a large pot with fresh water and a piece of bone-in salted pork.
- 310 min
Bring to a boil and skim off the foam and any loose pea skins that rise.
- 490 min
Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the peas begin to break down, about 1.5 hours.
- 510 min
Lift out the pork, dice the meat, and return it to the pot, discarding the bone.
- 620 min
Season with salt and a little marjoram, simmering until the soup is thick and creamy.
- 75 min
Serve hot with strong mustard stirred in at the table.
