Thick, hearty Dutch split pea soup with smoked sausage and pork — so thick a spoon stands up in it.
Snert is the Netherlands' national winter soup — a split pea soup so thick it is almost a stew. Traditionally made on the first cold day of the year and then eaten the next day when it has thickened even further, it contains smoked rookworst sausage, pork shoulder, celery root and leeks. A proper snert should be thick enough that a spoon stands upright. It is warming, filling and deeply satisfying.
Serves 6
Drain split peas. Combine with pork shoulder and stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Skim foam. Simmer 60 minutes.
Add celeriac, leeks, carrots and celery. Continue simmering 30 minutes until split peas have completely broken down.
Shred the pork shoulder. Add rookworst and shredded pork back to the pot.
Simmer uncovered 20 more minutes until the soup is very thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Snert is even better the next day. Reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with rye bread spread with butter.
The overnight rest is highly recommended — the flavour deepens dramatically.
The soup should be so thick a spoon stands upright — a Dutch benchmark for quality.
Rookworst (Dutch smoked sausage) is available at Dutch or German grocery stores; smoked kielbasa or frankfurter are substitutes.
Add a pig's trotter to the stock for extra body and gelatine.
Make entirely vegetarian with smoked paprika and vegetable stock.
Refrigerate for 5 days — improves daily. Freezes well for 3 months.
Snert has been a Dutch staple for centuries. Traditionally it was made on skating days — when the canals froze and Dutch families went ice skating, warming up with a bowl of snert sold at stalls by the ice.
A Dutch smoked pork sausage with a strong smoky flavour. German Mettwurst, Polish kielbasa or Spanish chorizo (fresh, not dried) are reasonable substitutes.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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