National Dish Iceland: Kjötsúpa (Recipe)
In this article
Kjötsúpa is lamb soup, and Icelandic lamb is genuinely different: the sheep roam free all summer on mountain pasture eating wild herbs, and the meat tastes of it. The soup is plain on purpose because the lamb does not need help.
About Kjötsúpa
Kjötsúpa is Iceland’s everyday soup and its national dish. Lamb on the bone simmers with potatoes, swede, carrot and onion, seasoned with little more than salt, pepper and dried herbs. It is thin, it is filling, and it is what Icelandic households have eaten through winter for centuries.
Rice or oats are sometimes added to thicken it, which is a frugal habit from when meat was scarce.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 300 g lamb (shoulder or neck, for example)
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1.5 litres water or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Shopping for the ingredients
Lamb on the bone, neck or shoulder, is what you want; the bones make the broth. Icelandic lamb is exported and worth buying if you find it. Swede, rófa, is the traditional root and is more important to the flavour than the carrot.
Preparing the dish
Cut everything large. This is a soup of substantial pieces, not a fine dice. Skim the surface in the first fifteen minutes to keep the broth clear, which is the only technique involved.
Step-by-step instructions
- Brown the lamb in a large pot over medium heat until it takes on a little colour.
- Add the onion, leek, carrot and potatoes and sauté them briefly with the meat.
- Pour in the water or stock and drop in the fresh thyme sprigs.
- Bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1–1.5 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Kjötsúpa contains no gluten and no dairy. If you add oats or barley to thicken it, as many Icelanders do, that changes; use rice instead.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The soup is lamb and its broth. Iceland’s plant options are limited historically, though rúgbrauð, the dense rye bread baked in geothermal ground, is vegan and remarkable. A root vegetable soup with plenty of thyme is the honest substitute.
More tips and tricks
Skim the broth early. Use bone-in lamb, since boneless gives a thin soup. And do not overcook the vegetables: add the potatoes about 30 minutes before the end rather than at the start, whatever the order below suggests, if you want them intact.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Swede is the addition that makes it properly Icelandic. Dried herbs, particularly blóðberg, wild thyme, are traditional. A handful of rice or oats thickens it into something closer to a stew.
Ingredient substitutions
Mutton is more traditional than lamb and stronger. Any root vegetable works. Water is fine; the lamb makes its own stock.
Drink pairing ideas
Water, honestly. Icelandic beer such as Gull or Egils works. Brennivín, the caraway schnapps, appears at festive meals but not usually with soup.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it in deep bowls with the meat still on the bone and rye bread and butter alongside. It is not arranged and it is not garnished. Leftovers are better the next day.
A bit of history
Iceland has almost no arable farming and for a thousand years survived on sheep, fish and what could be preserved. Kjötsúpa is what that produces: one pot, everything in it, cooked long. It anchors Icelandic cuisine alongside plokkfiskur and hangikjöt.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Kjötsúpa
Kjötsúpa is lamb on the bone simmered with root vegetables and thyme. Use bone-in meat, skim it early, cut everything large, and serve it with rye bread.
