We were introduced to Sodd, a Norwegian soup made with chunks of cooked lamb or mutton, lamb and beef meatballs, potatoes, and carrots in a clear broth, several years ago in Oslo, Norway, at dinner with Weldon’s cousin Jan Erik Bangsund and his family. A bowl of hot Sodd on that cold October night was heartily satisfying — subtly spiced clear broth, tender lamb, toothsome meatballs with large wedges of potatoes and carrots. Jan Erik’s wife Vilde explained that Sodd is a special occasion dish with historic links to Trøndelag, the region in Central Norway that was home to the Bengtsens, Weldon’s and Jan Erik’s maternal ancestors.
This memorable dinner was our first visit with distant Norwegian family, genealogically linked to Weldon through maternal great-grandparents. Jan Erik discovered a link to Weldon’s ancestors who emigrated to America in 1903 when exploring his Norwegian family tree, reviewing a collection of old letters and holiday greetings and read Weldon’s family memoir. * Jan Erik reached out to Weldon, and we followed up with a visit. Weldon’s grandmother Gurine was a sister of Jan Erik’s great grandmother Paulina. Three generations later, family links initially maintained after emigration but eventually lost, now were found.
When we returned to Chicago, I was eager to make Sodd at home. A few internet searches later, I learned more about this special dish and found several English language recipes.
Sodd is first mentioned in the Saga of Håkon the Good from the 13th century. The word sodd may derive from the Old Norse word sjoda, which means to seethe or to simmer, and today Sodd is aways simmered, never boiled.
Sodd is simple but time-consuming to make, so most Norwegian cooks make a large batch to serve at major life events: weddings, baptisms, holidays, confirmation ceremonies or during the Norwegian National Day together with thin flat bread (flatbrød). Now, Sodd is popular throughout Norway, and for time-constrained cooks, it is also available in many meat markets ready-to-serve with home-boiled potatoes and carrots.
Sodd plays a significant role in Norwegian culinary history. Martin Skjalden in his essay Sodd – A Delicious Norwegian Soup with Roots Tracing Back Centuries * calls Sodd
a beloved culinary treasure from Norway that offers a warm welcome of homely flavors. Originating from the heart of Norwegian tradition, Sodd is more than just a soup; it’s a celebration of simplicity and taste. Rooted in the Norwegian way of life, this dish combines cooked mutton and meatballs, typically made from lamb or beef, to create a comforting meal…While Sodd is deeply ingrained in Norwegian culinary tradition, its exact origins are somewhat enigmatic, woven into the fabric of Norway’s rich history…While there is no direct reference to Sodd in the ancient sagas of Norway, its enduring presence in Norwegian cuisine suggests a history that could stretch back centuries…Over the years, Sodd has evolved from a dish of necessity to one of celebration. It has become synonymous with special occasions in many parts of Norway, particularly in Trøndelag…[at] the heart of Sodd’s popularity, the dish is more than just food—it’s a part of the region’s identity…
Armed with my newly gained knowledge about Sodd, and since there is no Norwegian butcher preparing it in Chicago, I embarked on replicating the delicious dinner we enjoyed in Oslo.
Lamb broth ingredients
Sodd ingredients are simple, readily available. Sodd can be made with various meats and vegetables. Variations depend on the cook and region, but generally the dish incorporates quality meat, fresh vegetables and savory broth. Some families prefer beef stew meat, while others use lamb or venison. Vegetables used vary depending on the season. Some recipes add leeks, celery root, rutabaga, celery, turnip or even rice. Seasonings also differ from cook to cook with some using dried thyme, bay leaves, nutmeg or ginger. This Sodd recipe includes the simplest traditional variation of lamb, meatballs, potatoes and carrots.
Meatball ingredients
Vegetables ready for cooking
Because ingredients are traditionally cooked separately, preparation is done in four steps over several days: preparing a clear broth from meat and bones, blending ground meats and forming meatballs, cooking vegetables, and final poaching of meats and assembling for serving. Only time but no special culinary skills are needed to prepare Sodd.
Although opinions differ among Norwegian culinary experts whether Sodd is a soup or stew, I side with the soup supporters, since Sodd has a clear, not thickened broth. But whichever it is called, Sodd is meal of rich flavors and gratifying sustenance, often served as a main course, which is how it was served by the Bangsunds and how I serve it.
This Sodd, with its tender meat, spiced meatballs, wholesome vegetables and flavorful broth comes close to that special dinner we had in Norway. As its hearty ingredients cook, the kitchen is filled with a savory aroma in anticipation that something delicious would soon be served. With each spoon, I marvel at how such simple ingredients can create deep flavor and now understand why Sodd is favored among Norwegians as a special occasion family dish. Savoring a steaming bowl of Sodd with family creates an atmosphere of warmth and togetherness.
Vikeraunet, the Bengsten family homestead, circa 1900
View of valley from Vikeraunet, 2023
As I was preparing Sodd looking at Chicago’s urban scene through my kitchen window, I was imagining how Weldon’s great grandmother Gjertrude, and maybe her daughters Pauline, Gurine and Berntine, prepared Sodd in the kitchen at Vikeraunet overlooking the valley below the family homestead years before Gurine and Berntine emigrated to America in 1903. I felt a closeness with them.
The Bangsund family: from left Vllde, Olea, Jan Erik and Elma in front
Tusen takk – Thank you to Jan Erik, Vilde and your beautiful daughters Olea and Elma, for introducing Sodd to us. Tasting Sodd at your house encouraged me to recapture a dish not served by Weldon’s grandmother and mother. I was comforted preparing this humble recipe, knowing that now Sodd will be a part of the Johnson family’s Norwegian recipe repertoire on this side of the Atlantic.
Tips for a successful Sodd
This recipe serves 4-6 hearty eaters. It can be doubled or tripled as needed but a cooking companion would be handy in making little meatballs. This recipe makes 40 meatballs which takes about 45 minutes.
Allow plenty of time. Cook the lamb pieces at least a day before serving. Skim foam that accumulates on the surface as the broth is cooking, and once cooked, strain through cheesecloth to clarify.
Refrigerate cooked meat and broth overnight. Skim and discard any fat that hardens atop the broth.
Ground lamb or a mixture of lamb and beef can be used for the meatballs. Meatballs can be prepared a day ahead and stored on parchment lined tray, covered with plastic film, until poaching that day or the next.
Remember Sodd means to s immer but never boil. The clear broth should be piping hot for poaching meatballs and reheating the meat.
Elma and Olea Bangsund with a plate of Skjenning
Traditional accompaniments to Sodd are Skjenning** or another good flatbread, ginger ale, lager, home brewed or alcohol-free beer, or cider.
Sodd, adapted from www.matprat.no and other sources,
For clear broth
35 ounces 2.20 pounds (1 kg) lamb shoulder with bones or breast of lamb
4 quarts (4 l) boiling water
4 quarts (4 l) cold water
1½ tablespoons salt
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
For meatballs
8.8 ounces (250 g) cold beef, 80 % lean, minced or ground,
8.8 ounces (250 g) cold lamb minced or ground
½ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon potato starch + 2 teaspoons for coating meatballs
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 ½ tablespoons (0.5 dl) heavy cream
For vegetables
14 ounces (400 g) carrots, about 5 large carrots
28 ounces (800 g) potatoes
For garnish
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Preparing broth: Trim large pieces of fat off the lamb if necessary but leave some fat for flavor. Place the meat and bones in a large stock pot, pour in boiling water and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove, rinse meat and bones and place in a clean bowl. (This step seals the meat surface, minimizing the accumulation of foam during subsequent cooking which will make the broth cloudy.) Discard hot water and wash stock pot.
Place washed meat into clean pot. Add cold water and slowly bring it to a boil. Add salt, nutmeg and ginger. Then, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, or until tender. Occasionally, skim off any foam and impurities that form on the surface.
When meat is tender, transfer the meat pieces to a bowl. Cool and cut meat into small pieces, approximately ½ inch (1.27 cm) cubes. Discard the bones. Refrigerate until day of serving.
Strain broth, cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Before proceeding the next day, remove and discard any fat that forms on the surface.
Preparing meatballs: Combine cold ground beef and lamb in a food processor bowl.Process the meat for 2 minutes until smooth. Add salt and process for another minute until the mixture is extra fine. Then, add heavy cream, season with remaining nutmeg, ginger and pepper and pulse until combined. Pulse in the potato starch.
Test the mixture by forming a small oval meatball, about a teaspoon size, with wet hands and dropping it into simmering water. If it holds its shape after 10 minutes, the mixture is ready to form meatballs. If not, add another ½ teaspoon of potato starch to the meat mixture.
Refrigerate mixture for at least 20-30 minutes before shaping into small, plump ovals, no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, with wet hands and a teaspoon. (This recipe makes 40 meatballs.) Roll each meatball in potato starch before placing on parchment lined tray, covering with plastic film and refrigerating until poaching that day or the next.
Assembling Sodd: Remove meatballs from refrigerator 1 hour before assembling soup so they reach room temperature. Heat the broth to very hot but not boiling and keep on simmering at a steady high temperature. Gradually add meatballs to the hot broth. Let the balls poach for 10-12 minutes until heated through. (Poaching will cook the meatballs.) Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and keep warm.
Add diced lamb to the broth and heat through for about 5-7 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Preparing vegetables: While meat and meatballs are poaching, in separate saucepans, cook potatoes and carrots in salted water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
Assembling and serving Sodd: Warm soup bowls in the oven. Then distribute carrots, potatoes, diced lamb and meat balls among the hot bowls and top with several ladles of hot broth. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately with thin flatbread.
Serves 4-6
*Weldon T. Johnson, The Johnsons and Tayets of Tacoma: A family Memoir of the First 130 years, Blurb Inc., San Francisco, 2014.
**In Cuisine by skjalden at www.skjalden.com
*** Skjenning is a triangular, leaf-thin flatbread that is coated with freshly strained milk and sugar on one side. It is traditionally used as a condiment to Sodd. It is not available in the US. I brought a package from Norway.
Photo credits: Vikeraunet, circa 1900, from Christine Normo’s collection
All other photos: Slava Johnson
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