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Icelandic · Scandinavian

Kjötsúpa

Non-vegetarian

A hearty Icelandic soup of bone-in lamb simmered slowly with swede, carrots and potatoes, thickened with a little oats or rice. Simple, warming winter food.

Kjötsúpa is an Icelandic soup, ready in about 2 hours and made with lamb shoulder and turnip. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Plate of Icelandic kjötsúpa lamb soup with potatoes, carrots and swede
Photo: SeppVei / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 40 min
Total
2 h
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
427

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the lamb in a large pot with the cold water and salt. Bring to the boil and skim off the grey foam that rises.

  2. Step 2

    Add the onion (opens in a new tab), oats (opens in a new tab) and thyme (opens in a new tab), lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the lamb is tender.

    • 55 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the swede, carrots (opens in a new tab) and potatoes (opens in a new tab) (and cabbage (opens in a new tab), if using) and simmer until the vegetables are soft.

    • 25 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Season with pepper (opens in a new tab) and more salt if needed. Serve in deep bowls with the meat on the bone, or lift it out and cut it from the bones first.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
Iceland · Well documentedMore food from Iceland
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
savoury, mild, earthy
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Batch cooking · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Turnip · Onion · Rolled oats · Dried thyme · Carrot
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom rolled oats

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

427 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 639 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 23%
  • Fat 57%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy427 kcal67 kcal
Protein22 g3.4 g
Carbohydrate24.4 g3.8 g
Net carbohydrate20.1 g3.1 g
Sugars5.3 g0.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.4 g0.7 g
Fat27.3 g4.3 g
Saturated fat11.6 g1.8 g
Trans fat1.4 g0.2 g
Cholesterol70 mg11 mg
Sodium929 mg145 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
860 mg
Calcium
94 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
62 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
267 µg
Vitamin C
30 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
2.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cabbage.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Lamb with some fat and bone gives the broth its body — lean boneless meat makes a thin soup.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard instead of simmering, which toughens the lamb and clouds the broth.

Serve with

  • Serve with bread and butter.

Food safety

  • Simmer until the lamb is tender and pulls from the bone.
  • Cool leftovers quickly (shallow containers) and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot (75 °C).

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes well; it tastes even better the next day.

Reheating

  • Bring back to a simmer on the stove.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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