Thick pea soup with smoked meats
6 servings
120 minutes
Thick pea soup with smoked meats is a classic of Russian cuisine that is warming and nourishing. Its history dates back to times when peas were an affordable and hearty ingredient, and smoked meats added a rich aroma. This soup captivates with its velvety texture where peas turn into a soft puree, while smoked ribs and sausage give it a deep, rich flavor with subtle smoky notes. The broth made from meat becomes a fragrant base enriching the soup and making it an ideal choice for cold days. This soup is especially good paired with rye bread or croutons, and its thickness makes it a complete standalone dish. It not only warms but also provides a sense of home comfort as if returning to a family feast with traditional Russian flavors.
1
I take split yellow peas, rinse them, soak overnight (at least 4 hours), in a ratio of 1:2. If cooking in a pressure cooker - soaking the peas is not necessary. You can also rinse dry peas and pre-boil them for about 1-1.5 hours, keeping the proportions and constantly adding water to be two fingers above the level of the peas.
- Peas: 2 glasss
2
We boil a piece of meat with a bone, either pork or beef. Once it boils and foam appears, we remove it. I drain the first broth, wash the piece of meat and the pot, and fill it with clean water. We add smoked ribs, sliced sausage, peas, one whole carrot, and a bay leaf to the washed meat, and set it to boil. We bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest heat. We remove the foam (it will still form from the peas and ribs).
- Pork: 100 g
- Smoked pork ribs: 100 g
- Smoked sausage: 50 g
- Peas: 2 glasss
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
3
We stir the peas periodically as they tend to burn. We cook without a lid. Peas absorb a lot of water; if the liquid goes away, we add boiling water.
- Peas: 2 glasss
4
After about 1.5 hours, we chop one potato finely and add it to the soup.
- Potato: 1 piece
5
Chop the onion finely, take the carrot out of the soup and chop it finely as well. Sauté both in vegetable oil until golden brown, add a spoon of tomato paste, mix and sauté slightly. By that time, the peas should be well cooked; if there is a lot of water in the soup, add about one ladle of soup water to the sauté; if there is little water in the soup, add boiling water to the sauté and simmer a bit until soft.
- Onion: 1 piece
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Tomato paste: 1 teaspoon
6
After about 2 hours, we check the meat; if it separates easily from the bone, we take it out and remove the fat, cut the meat, and the ribs will cook themselves. We transfer the sauté to the soup.
- Pork: 100 g
7
Cook everything together for another 10-20 minutes, adding peppercorns.
- Black peppercorns: 5 piece
8
Let's try it, and add salt if necessary. Enjoy your meal!
- Salt: to taste