Kjötsúpa: Icelandic Lamb Soup Recipe

Kjötsúpa, literally "meat soup", is Iceland's classic lamb soup. Bone-in lamb is simmered in water until it makes its own broth, then finished with rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and a handful of rice or oats. It is plain, warming food: there is no browning step and no stock, and the lamb and the vegetables do all the work.

Norwegians will spot a family resemblance to fårikål, Norway's lamb-and-cabbage stew, but kjötsúpa is a proper soup, loaded with root vegetables and lightly thickened with rice or oats.

Serves 6 · Prep 20 minutes · Cook about 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in lamb (shoulder, neck or shank), cut into large pieces
• 2.5 litres (10 cups) cold water
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons Icelandic soup herbs (súpujurtir), or herbes de Provence, or 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, parsley and marjoram
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 400 g rutabaga (swede), peeled and cut into 2–3 cm cubes
• 400 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2–3 cm cubes
• 250 g carrots, thickly sliced
• ¼ small white cabbage (about 250 g), chopped
• 60 g (about ½ cup) rice or rolled oats
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Put the lamb in a large pot, cover with the cold water and bring slowly to a gentle boil. Skim off the foam that rises to the surface.
• Add the salt, soup herbs and onion. Reduce the heat to a steady, gentle simmer, partly cover, and cook for 45–60 minutes, until the lamb is nearly tender.
• Add the rutabaga, potatoes, carrots and rice (or oats) and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the cabbage and cook for 5–10 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Lift the lamb out, pull the meat from the bones, cut it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot, discarding the bones and any large pieces of fat.
• Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes and serve hot.

Chef's tips

• Start with cold water and bring it up slowly, skimming as you go, for a clearer broth.
• Keep it at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, which makes the meat stringy and the broth cloudy.
• Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. Rutabaga takes the longest, so cut it a little smaller.
• Add the cabbage last so it keeps some texture.
• Skim excess fat from the surface before serving, or chill the soup overnight and lift off the solid fat.
• Kjötsúpa is even better the next day. The rice or oats keep thickening it, so loosen with a little hot water when reheating.

Variations and substitutions

• Vegetables: a sliced leek or a chunk of celeriac appears in some home recipes.
• Lamb: Icelandic lamb is prized, but any bone-in lamb works. The bones give the broth its body.
• Grains: use rice, rolled oats or a mix; oats thicken the soup more.
• Herbs: if you cannot find súpujurtir, herbes de Provence is a workable substitute.

What to serve with kjötsúpa

Kjötsúpa is a meal in a bowl. Serve it with slices of buttered dark rye bread such as rúgbrauð. For more Icelandic lamb, see hangikjöt with uppstúf, or browse our soups and stews and lamb and meat collections.

Storage and reheating

Cool the soup quickly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout. It can be frozen for up to 3 months, though the potatoes soften on thawing.

Kjötsúpa FAQ

What cut of lamb is best for kjötsúpa?

Bone-in cuts from the shoulder, neck or shank. The bones and connective tissue enrich the broth, and the meat becomes tender with a long, gentle simmer.

Is kjötsúpa a soup or a stew?

A soup. The lamb and vegetables sit in a light broth that rice or oats thicken only slightly.

What are Icelandic soup herbs?

Icelandic recipes often call for "soup herbs" (súpujurtir), a dried herb blend. Herbes de Provence, or thyme, parsley and marjoram, is a workable stand-in.

Sources

Quantities and timings follow the proportions of published Icelandic-style recipes; simmer times vary with the cut of lamb.

• The Icelandic Association of Washington D.C.: Kjötsúpa