Pea soup on Thursday has been a tradition in Sweden since the Middle Ages. It stems from the Friday fasting historically observed by the Roman Catholic church as a reminder of Jesus’ suffering anddeath on Good Friday. Thursdays had a somewhat festive aura and peas were considered a luxury item.Pork was a common meat available in most homes and salted pork became a natural addition to the hearty ärtsoppa (EHRT-soh-puh) that was intended to hold people over on the day of fasting. By the close of the 1700s the aura of luxury had worn off and there are records of prisoners complaining about the recurring pea soup on Thursdays. Many Swedish school kids may feel the same.
In the 1520s the Protestants abolished all fasting ‘rules’ that went along with the Catholic beliefs. Even though there were no longer religious restrictions on what could be eaten when, pea soup on Thursday was so entrenched in the culture the tradition has continued for nearly 500 years. It is still evidenced today in the plastic-cased pea soup tubes that are available in supermarkets year-round.
An interesting complement to the pea soup tradition cropped up in the 1800s when warm punsch started being served along with the soup. The other common part of the traditional Thursday meal is Swedish pancakes with preserves (often strawberry). Although I find this soup to be perfect for fall, it’s year-round fare in Sweden.
So if you are trying to decide what to make for dinner this Thursday, how about making it a Swedish meal? Whole, dried yellow peas are the most authentic but can be difficult to find in the U.S. Split yellow peas could be substituted if need be. I made my soup in the slow cooker but of course it can be cooked on the stove as well. Either way it’s easy to do and it freezes well.
Swedish pea soup(adapted from Vår Kok Bok)
serves 6-8
Adjust the salt and bullion cubes(because they are also salty) accordingly depending on what kind of meat you are using. Very salty pork can add plenty of flavor to the soup without needing to add much else.
1 pound (500g) dried, whole yellow peas
6 cups (1 1/2 liters) water
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pound (500g) fresh or cured pork
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons dried thyme
1-2 beef bullion cubes
1 – 2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled
stone ground mustard and finely sliced leeks to serve
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the peas well.
2. Place all ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker, starting with the peas and ending with the ginger. Cover and cook on HIGH 6-8 hours until the meat is cooked through and the peas are soft.
3. Serve hot with stone ground mustard and finely sliced leeks. The meat can be broken up and left in the soup or removed and placed in a serving bowl.
STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the peas well.
2. Add the peas, water, and salt to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and remove any skins or scum that rise to the surface.
3. Add the meat, onion, thyme, bullion and ginger. Simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours until the peas are soft. Keep an eye on the meat and remove it before the end of cooking time if need be to keep it from drying out.
4. Serve hot with stone ground mustard and finely sliced leeks. The meat can be broken up and left in the soup or removed and placed in a serving bowl.
FAQs
It dates back to 1577, when King Eric XIV was imprisoned and wanted dead. It's said, on a Thursday, the King was given a bowl of pea soup. The bowl of pea soup was laced with poison and he died. From that time on people ate Pea Soup every Thursday in order to honor the poor dead King.
Why do Finns eat pea soup on Thursday? ›
Consumption of pea soup in Sweden and Finland dates back to at least the 13th century, and is traditionally served on Thursdays. This is said to originate in the pre-Reformation era, as preparation for fasting on Fridays.
Why do diners serve pea soup on Thursdays? ›
“Preparing pea soup on Thursdays stems from the fasting orders of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages,” says Hopsu-Neuvonen. “Eating heavily on Thursday helped Catholics get through the fasting day on Friday.”
What does pea soup mean in slang? ›
A 'pea-souper' back in the fifties in England described thick fog, or smog. Thick swirling yellow fog prevented anyone from seeing through it. You could barely see a hand in front of you. That is a pea souper. 41.
Why do Swedes only eat candy on Saturdays? ›
Between 1947 and 1949, the Medical Agency subjected residents of an institution to extreme sugar consumption, an experiment that revealed a causal link with the development of cavities and led to the recommendation to eat sweets only once a week. The ritual is immutable. It is repeated every Saturday throughout Sweden.
What is Sweden's national breakfast? ›
Muesli, or porridge (gröt) is sometimes eaten at breakfast, made of oatmeal or cream of wheat, eaten with milk and jam or cinnamon with sugar. Common drinks for breakfast are milk, juice, tea, or coffee. Swedes are among the most avid milk and coffee drinkers in the world.
What is the difference between split pea soup and pea soup? ›
What is the difference between split pea soup and pea soup? Split peas are dried and split in two, like lentils. Peas are usually fresh or frozen whole peas and are softer in texture after cooking.
Why is pea soup so good? ›
Split peas have an amazing 16g of protein AND 16g of fiber per cup of cooked split peas. In addition to the split peas, this recipe is simply filled with nourishing vegetables, broth, and spices, so it's low in calories, yet super filling.
What is the blood soup in Finland? ›
Mykyrokka is a soup that is a typical traditional dish in eastern Finland (Savo region). The main ingredient is myky: a palm sized dumpling made from blood and barley flour. The dumplings are cooked in the soup. The soup also contains potatoes, onions, fatty meat, and offal such as kidneys, liver and or heart.
Why is split pea soup so gassy? ›
These sugars are not broken down during digestion and therefore reach the colon mostly intact. Fermentation of pea's raffinose family of oligosaccharide sugars in the colon results in the production of intestinal gas.
Swedes eat their pancakes for meals other than breakfast, alongside a bowl of lentil soup, for example. Or for dessert. They often eat them spread with lingonberry jam.
Why is it called pea soup? ›
The literal meaning of pea soup is pretty obvious — it's a thick, savory soup, usually made from green or yellow split peas. The figurative meaning is less clear, since it means "a fog so thick you can't see through it." The first written mention of pea soup was actually spelled pease soup, in 1711.
What was the pea soup disaster? ›
An 1871 New York Times article refers to "London, particularly, where the population are periodically submerged in a fog of the consistency of pea soup". The fogs caused large numbers of deaths from respiratory problems.
What does pea wet mean? ›
Pea wet is, as the name suggests, the juice from the peas (which doesn't work if the peas are too mushy). Sometimes you would have a wet mixture with scratchings (scraps of batter) or, if you were saving money, chips and pea wet was always an option - especially as the pea wet was free.
Why do Londoners call money peas? ›
'Peas' is 'p's', as in either pence or pounds. Therefore, it roughly translates as “He's making barely any money”. This is young persons' urban slang which I suspect you mave have heard in the film Attack the Block.
What do Swedes eat on Thursdays? ›
Pea soup and pancakes
Many Swedes grow up eating pea soup and pancakes (ärtsoppa och pannkakor) every Thursday. This tradition has been upheld by the Swedish Armed Forces since World War II.
What is Swedish Fat Tuesday? ›
The traditions of semla are rooted in fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday) when the buns were eaten at a last celebratory feast before the Christian fasting period of Lent. At first, a semla was simply a bun, eaten soaked in hot milk (known as hetvägg).
What is the biggest meal of the day in Sweden? ›
Swedes eat their main meal of the day at lunchtime; do likewise and you'll save lots of cash. Bear in mind that Swedes eat early; lunch will be served from 11am, dinner from 6pm.
What is Sweden's delicious Saturday tradition? ›
Lördagsgodis (English: "Saturday sweets" or "Saturday candy") is a Swedish tradition of children eating candy or sweets mainly or only on Saturdays.
