Grochówka (split pea soup with kiełbasa)
A thick split pea soup cooked on smoked pork belly, with kiełbasa and marjoram. Hearty enough for an army, and even better the next day.
- Serves 6
- Prep 20 min
- Cooking 1 h 40 min
Ingredients
- 400 g yellow split peas
- 1 ring of kiełbasa wiejska (about 500 g)
- 250 g smoked pork belly (half a slab)
- 2 litres water
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsnip or parsley root
- a piece of celeriac (about 100 g)
- 3 potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves, 4 allspice berries
- 2 tsp dried marjoram
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Rinse the split peas a few times in cold water. Cut half the pork belly into large cubes and put it in a large pan with the peas.
- Add the 2 litres of cold water, the bay leaves and allspice. Simmer gently for about an hour, until the peas are soft and starting to fall apart. Skim off any froth and stir now and then, as the peas like to stick.
- Peel and dice the carrots, parsnip, celeriac and potatoes. Add them to the soup and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Finely dice the rest of the pork belly and fry it in a frying pan until the fat runs. Add the chopped onion, soften it, then tip everything into the soup.
- Slice the kiełbasa into half-moons, add it to the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic and the marjoram, rubbed between your palms. Season with salt and pepper, and add a little hot water if the soup is too thick.
- Serve with bread. Grochówka thickens as it stands, and it's even better the next day.