Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup (Ärtsoppa)
A thick, comforting soup of yellow split peas and smoked ham, served with mustard. A Swedish Thursday tradition.
- Time2 hr plus soaking
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.53 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Drain the soaked peas and put them in a large pan with the ham hock, water, onion, carrot and bay leaves.
- 2
Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently with the lid half on for 1 hour 30 minutes.
90 min - 3
Lift out the ham hock. Pull the meat off the bone, discarding skin and fat, and shred it.
- 4
Stir the marjoram and ginger into the soup. Mash some of the peas against the side of the pan for a thicker soup. Remove the bay leaves.
- 5
Return the meat to the pan. Taste and add pepper, and salt only if needed.
- 6
Ladle into bowls and serve with a spoonful of mustard.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.