It’s starting to get quite cold in Iceland and winter is definitely here. That means it’s the perfect time for our glorious Icelandic meat soup.

Sure, you can get some meat soup at a few restaurants in Iceland but nothing compares to a proper, homemade version of this popular stable. The meat soup has it all; it’s hearty, homey and utterly delicious.

So, I give to you my mother’s meat soup recipe. To me it’s the best meat soup in Iceland, but hey, I can’t say I’m particularly bias in this case. Enjoy and thank my mother on your next visit to Iceland!

Kjötsúpa (Meat Soup)

Ingredients:

1/2 white cabbage, sliced into small pieces

2 onions, sliced into small pieces

1 small rutabaga, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced into small pieces

2 tsp salt to taste

2 dl rolled oats

lamb forepart, with bone, cut into pieces

Directions:

Place all the ingredients, except the lamb, in a big pot that holds 5 liters. Pour 2 1/2 liters of water into the pot and mix it with the ingredients. Bring this to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat when the mixture boils. This can be done in the morning.

Two hours before dinner time you put the meat in a big pot with some water and salt it generously. Bring it to a boil and start the soup up again when you start boiling the meat. This takes around 1 1/2 hour. Then you pour the stock from the meat into the soup until the taste is right. Voila, your soup is done! Some cut up meat to go into the soup whilst others just serve it alongside the soup. You can also dice some boiled potatoes and toss them in the soup.

And please note, the soup is even better when you heat it up the next day. Absolutely gorgeous.