Taste of Scandinavia vegetable soup

I am really excited about this soup! It is a modified version of a classic Norwegian dish called "Lapskaus" (a vegetable stew with smoked meat and/or sausage). I can get the sausage, called "Middagspølse", at a Scandinavian shop in Minneapolis, but since it isn't readily available for most people in the US I decided to create a version using the exact same vegetables but substituting meatballs for the Norwegian sausage. I also

decided that Swedish meatballs would fit perfectly, but there is no reason you couldn't use Italian style meat balls as well. Most of the vegetables I used are common and available year round. However, some of you may not be all that familiar with the rutabaga. Rutabagas, also commonly referred to as Swede  (in Norwegian "Kålrabi") are not used too much in the US, but I love this rustic root vegetable. It looks like a large turnip with pale yellow flesh. It cooks up nice and sweet. Use any leftover cooked rutabaga mixed into your mashed potatoes. It is wonderful with any kind of meat or sausage. As with all vegetable soup made from scratch the most labor intensive part is the chopping, but most if not all of the vegetables in this soup, except the rutabaga, can be found pre-chopped in your grocers produce section. The rutabaga is especially hard, so make sure you have a solid knife. This is a great winter soup which reminds me of home. Enjoy!



Hearty vegetable soup with Swedish meatballs

6 cups lightly salted water

2 beef bouillon cubes

2 cups rutabaga, diced

4 carrots, sliced

5 potatoes, diced

4 stalks celery, sliced 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 t thyme

1/2 T butter or margarine

2 shallots, chopped small

1 medium leek sliced

1 12 oz. package frozen Swedish meat balls, thawed (cut in half if you prefer).



In a large dutch oven, over medium high heat, whisk the beef bouillon cubes into the water until dissolved. Add next 6 ingredients through thyme. Bring to a boil and cook, covered,  15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute shallots until just soft, 3-4 minutes. Add to vegetables. Reduce heat to lowest setting and add leeks and meat balls. Heat through.

 (This soup is even better on the second or third day when all the flavors have melded together and the soup has thickened sligthly. It freezes well too!)

Serves 6