David and I first had this soup after exploring the inside of a volcano in Iceland. It was served at Base Camp at the end of our adventure. It can be served with rice (so that it will serve more people) or served as a simple stew. We’ve made this recipe three times now, and haven’t mixed in rice. It is a very hearty, very delicious stew and has quickly become our favorite. We ended up having it a few times in Iceland as it was on many restaurant menus.
Lamb on the bone isn’t cheap, but this soup is so worth it! We can sometimes find lamb on the bone at Whole Foods. Other times, we need to go to a butcher.
This recipe comes from a great little recipe book we got in Keflavik airport. It’s called Icelandic Food and Cookery by Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Lamb on the bone cut in to big chunks
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs Celery leaves
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- 1 lb Rutabaga
- ¾ lb Potatoes
- ¾ lb Carrots
- ¼ lb Green cabbage
Instructions
- Trim some of the excess fat off the meat. Place meat in a large soup pot, add 6 cups of cold water and salt, and slowly bring to a boil. Skim the broth several times, then add ground pepper, celery leaves, and onions. Simmer, partly covered, for about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the rutabaga and cut into chunks. Peel the potatoes and quarter them. Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Add all of the vegetables (minus the cabbage) to the soup and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add cabbage and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Remove meat and cut into 1-2 inch chunks and return to soup. Taste, season if needed, and serve.