Kjötsúpa is a simple, hearty and nourishing classic Icelandic soup. Its full spectrum bioavailable nutrition is best enjoyed on a cold, dreary, dark day, with ample time to get cozy. This can be made in a soup pot or a slow cooker like an Instant Pot.
1-2lbsgrass fed and finished, organic pasture raised lamb shoulder or neck, bone in, thawed and cut into rough pieces a little larger than bite sizeor shank, or stewing meat
fresh, wild spring water to cover the ingredients
Saltverk seaweed sea salt, to taste
1largeorganic onion, small dice
1largeorganic rutabaga, diced into thick 1-2 inch chunks
4mediumorganic carrots, chopped into thick 1-2 inch chunks
4mediumyellow or white organic potatoes, diced into thick 1-2 inch chunks
3-4organic homemade vegetable broth cubes, or 2-3 cups vegetable brothoptional
1/2headsmall organic green cabbage, thinly sliced
Instructions
Place your meat into your favourite stewing pot, and include the bones and fat! Cover the meat with spring water, and season the meat liberally with sea salt. Bring the meat to a boil. Once the meat starts simmering, you can skim off some of the scum that may form on the surface of the water as this promotes a clearer soup, but not necessary as this doesn't impact the flavour. Let the meat simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until meat is tender.
Add the onion, rutabaga, carrots, and potatoes to the pot. Add in the vegetable broth, if using. Bring the pot to a boil, and back down to a simmer until the root vegetables are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
As the soup simmers, add in the cabbage and stir it in with the rest of the soup. After 5-10 minutes or cabbage is wilted, taste and adjust seasoning with more sea salt if required. Serve hot!
Notes
If your veggies are organic/biodynamic, no need to peel them! Slice your vegetables as thinly as you prefer - I prefer to cut them into larger pieces here as the soup is intended to be hearty and rustic. Don't tell the staunch kjötsúpa traditionalists, but sometimes I sneak in some dark leafy greens like winter kale towards the end of cooking.
This can easily be made in a slow cooker/Instant Pot. Simply add all ingredients at once, cover with spring water, add some vegetable broth if using, include a splash of raw apple cider vinegar or lemon/lime to draw out the minerals from the bones, then cook on HIGH for at least 2 hours (you could even go up to 6-8 hours for a really tender meat). The meat will fall off the bone, which is the best texture.
In Iceland, dried "soup herbs" consisting of flaky dehydrated leek, parsnip and carrots is common, but the vegetable stock I use also serves the same purpose. Any fresh herbs that you use can be added in with the vegetables once the meat is boiled.
Keep any unused portions in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You could also freeze any unused portions for up to 3 months.
For the love of the lamb god, please keep the nutritious fat on.