Kjötsúpa: Icelandic Lamb Soup
Kjotsupa, an Icelandic lamb soup, is a traditional recipe that optimizes the flavors of root vegetables including carrots, rutabagas, and potatoes.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 3pounds lamb, on the bone (thick chops or shoulder)
- 1medium onion, sliced
- ⅓cup brown rice or rolled oats
- 6cups of water
- ½teaspoon dried thyme
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- ½cabbage, roughly chopped
- 3carrots, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- ½rutabaga, uniformly diced
- 1cup cauliflower florets, optional
- 4potatoes, scrubbed well and diced into uniform 1/2-inch pieces
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Gather the ingredients.Step 2
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and briefly sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes (do not brown). Add the lamb pieces and brown on all sides.Step 3
Add the sliced onion to the pot and sauté for about 1 minute, then pour in the brown rice and water. Raise the heat to high, bringing the soup to a low boil; allow to boil for 5 minutes, skimming away the froth as it rises.Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the dried thyme and oregano, cover the pot, and cook for 40 minutes.Step 5
Add the cabbage, carrots, rutabaga, cauliflower (if using), and diced potatoes. Cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.Step 6
Remove the meat and bones from the pot, chop the meat coarsely, and return to the soup. Warm for an additional 5 minutes.Step 7
Season with salt and pepper, serve, and enjoy.