Erbeßsuppen

Pea Soup

Source: This pea soup recipe was found in Ein New Kochbuch by Marx Rumpolt, a 16th century collection of German recipes

Original Recipe:

Erbeßsuppen mit klein gehackten Zwibeln/ die geschweißt seyn/ pfeffers vnd gelbs/ so ist es auch gut.

Translation:

Peas soup with small chopped onions / which are sweated/ pepper and saffron/ so it is also good.

My Interpretation:

Mince onion. Sautee onion in bottom of stock pot with oil until translucent. Then add broth and water, saffron, pepper, salt, and peas. Bring to boil. Simmer for 2 hours until peas are soft. Then use an immersion blender to the soup to make it creamy. Then serve.

Notes:

    • The original recipe does not specify any particular broth, I choose a vegetable broth to give make this dish vegetarian for feasts.

    • The original recipe does not specify if fresh or dried (split) peas are used, I choose to use split peas to show how this dish can be made with preserved foods.

    • I like to caramelize the onions to bring a little smoky flavor to the soup.

References:

Rumpolt, Marx. "Ein new Kochbuch", Transliteration by Thomas Gloning, http://www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/kobu.htm

Rumpolt, Marx. "Ein new Kochbuch", Translated by M. Grasse, http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_Rumpolt1.htm