Irish 🍀 eyes are smiling. In this case my peas are smiling at me. These dried peas are the beginning step of Finnish pea soup which was a childhood staple made by my great-Mummi is prefect on a cold winter day followed by my absolutely favourite Finnish pancakes.
When serving Finnish pea soup always remember mustard. I am especially fond of the Finnish one made by Turun Sinappi. Luckily I am able to find it without a trip to Finland and love all three strengths – Mieto (Mild) – Green Cap, Väkevä (Strong) – Red Cap and Tulinen (Fiery) – Black Cap. For pea soup, the sweet mild one is the perfect compliment.
Since I do not have our family recipe, my first homemade attempt was with a recipe from a small and beautifully photographed Finnish cookbook called A Tasty Trip to Finland given to me by family in Helsinki when I visited a few years ago. For anyone who would like to attempt this Finnish food tradition, there are many recipes to be found online and likely on WordPress too.
A fun Finnish pea soup fact: it’s traditionally eaten on Thursdays, with Finnish pancakes for dessert and you will find it on the menu in many restaurants in Finland.
FinnSpirit 