Norwegian Vegetable Recipe

Prepare and rest meatball mixture

Place bread crumbs in a small bowl and pour 1/4 cup whole milk over them; let soak 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl combine ground meat, grated onion, soaked crumbs (include any excess milk), egg, allspice, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently until just combined; avoid overworking. Cover and chill in refrigerator 15–30 minutes to firm up.

Form and brown meatballs

Heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into small meatballs about 1 to 1 1/4 inch (makes ~18–22). Brown meatballs in batches, turning so they develop color on all sides, about 5–7 minutes per batch (they will finish cooking in the soup). Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Prep vegetables

Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2–3/4 inch cubes. Peel carrots and slice into 1/4–1/2 inch rounds. Trim and chop celery into similar size. Peel and cut rutabaga into 1/2 inch cubes. Slice leek lengthwise, wash well to remove grit, and thinly slice the white and light green parts. Finely chop the onion.

Sweat aromatics

In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, leek, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes, but do not brown.

Build the soup

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over the softened vegetables and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to remove raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in 8 cups water or broth until smooth. Add potatoes, rutabaga, bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and 1.5 teaspoons salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until root vegetables are tender, about 20–25 minutes.

Finish with milk and peas

Once vegetables are tender, stir in frozen peas and 1 cup milk or light cream. Return to a gentle simmer for 3–5 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove and discard bay leaf and peppercorns if desired. Stir in chopped fresh dill.

Combine meatballs and soup

Gently add the browned meatballs to the simmering soup and simmer together 6–8 minutes so the meatballs cook through and flavors meld. If you prefer, you can finish raw-formed meatballs directly in the simmering soup and cook 12–15 minutes until done.

Ladle the Norwegian Vegetable soup into bowls, placing several meatballs in each. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a crack of black pepper. Serve with lemon wedges at the table to brighten the soup if desired.