Nordic Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Sodd
Norway's festive broth — clear, golden, and fragrant — floating tender mutton, small meatballs, and root vegetables; the soup Norwegians have served at celebrations for centuries.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- One-pot
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners
Instructions
7 steps- 1
Place the mutton pieces in a large pot with the water, salt, allspice, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.
- 2
Skim off the foam that rises, then reduce to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender and the broth is fragrant and golden.
- 3
Meanwhile, mix the ground meat with the flour, milk, and a pinch of salt, and roll into small, tight meatballs about the size of a walnut.
- 4
Strain the broth, discard the bay leaf and allspice, and return the broth and the cooked mutton meat to the pot.
- 5
Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer, drop in the small meatballs, and poach for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through.
- 6
Add the carrots and rutabaga and simmer for another 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- 7
Season with salt and pepper and serve the broth hot with the meatballs, mutton, and vegetables all together in deep bowls.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
70/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving585
Calories
47 g
Protein
38 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Sodd is Norway's oldest and most ceremonial national dish, served at every major life event — weddings, baptisms, confirmations, and funerals — across the country for centuries. Historically, it was the dish that marked a community gathering, made in large pots with mutton or lamb and accompanied by small ground-beef meatballs (kjottkaker or boller) that float in the broth. The combination of a flavorful bone-in mutton broth with tender root vegetables and small meatballs served alongside flatbrod is a dish that defines Norwegian food identity in the way that no other single recipe does.
Listahan note
This version builds the broth from bone-in mutton or lamb for maximum flavor, keeps the meatballs very small and lightly bound so they stay delicate in the soup, and finishes with allspice for the characteristic Norwegian warmth.
Technique cues
- The broth is the centerpiece: simmer the bone-in mutton at a bare tremble (not a boil) for at least 2 hours so the collagen renders into gelatin without the fat emulsifying into the liquid, which would make the broth cloudy and greasy.
- The small meatballs (boller) should be the size of a large grape — much smaller than a frikadelle or Swedish meatball — so they cook through in the time it takes to add them to the hot broth and return it to a simmer.
- Allspice is the defining seasoning in Norwegian sodd; it should be present but subtle, providing warmth without making the dish taste like mulled wine — 8-10 whole berries simmered with the mutton is the right measure.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- While the mutton broth simmers for the first 90 minutes, mix and shape the small meatballs and refrigerate them; dice the root vegetables in the final 45 minutes.
- Make-ahead
- Make the broth and cook the mutton a day ahead; refrigerate overnight, remove the solidified fat from the surface, and finish with vegetables and meatballs the next day.
- Leftover move
- Leftover sodd broth with mutton meat pulled from the bone makes an excellent base for a quick noodle soup — add egg noodles and simmer 8 minutes.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve after the mutton is done to remove the allspice berries and any bone fragments before returning it to the pot for the final stage.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
bone-in mutton or lamb shoulder
broth base and main protein
Purpose: Bones and connective tissue release collagen into the long-simmered broth, giving it body and a rich mouthfeel that stock cubes cannot replicate.
Handling: Trim excess surface fat before adding to the pot so the broth does not become greasy; skim any foam that rises in the first 20 minutes.
Adaptation: Bone-in lamb neck or bone-in beef short rib can replace mutton shoulder; adjust the simmer time to 1.5 hours for younger lamb.
ground beef (for the small meatballs)
floating protein element
Purpose: The small beef meatballs are a distinct textural and flavor contrast to the mutton in the broth — they are a separate element, not just meat from the same animal.
Handling: Mix with the egg and breadcrumbs until just combined, roll into very small (grape-sized) balls, and refrigerate until the broth is ready.
Adaptation: Ground lamb can replace ground beef for a more uniform lamb-throughout dish; the flavor is richer.
rutabaga, peeled and diced
root vegetable
Purpose: Rutabaga adds the earthy, slightly sweet depth that is characteristic of Norwegian root vegetable soups and stews.
Handling: Dice into 3/4-inch cubes and add with the carrots in the last 30 minutes so it retains some texture rather than dissolving.
Adaptation: Turnip or parsnip can replace rutabaga; parsnip is sweeter and becomes very soft, so add it 10 minutes later than the other vegetables.
whole allspice berries and salt
signature seasoning
Purpose: Allspice is the flavor that immediately identifies sodd as Norwegian rather than a generic lamb broth.
Handling: Add the allspice berries early with the mutton and allow them to simmer for the full cooking time; remove with a spider or slotted spoon before serving.
Adaptation: If allspice is unavailable, a combination of 4 whole black peppercorns plus a small pinch of ground clove approximates the flavor.
Technique notes
- Drop the small meatballs directly into the simmering broth raw — do not pre-brown them, as sodd is a clear-broth soup and the meatballs should be pale and tender, not seared.
- Pull the mutton meat from the bone after the long simmer and return it to the broth in large shreds rather than cutting it, which gives a more rustic, traditional texture.
- Taste and adjust salt only after all elements are in the pot; the mutton releases salt as it simmers and the vegetables absorb it, so the balance shifts throughout cooking.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Replace the breadcrumbs in the meatballs with certified gluten-free breadcrumbs or rolled oats briefly processed in a blender; the texture is nearly identical.
- Milder protein version
- Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of mutton for a much lighter, less gamey broth; reduce the simmer time to 45 minutes and the flavor profile shifts from earthy to delicate.
- Egg-free meatballs
- Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons of cold water mixed into the meat and breadcrumbs; the meatballs hold together well in a gentle simmer even without egg.
Serve alongside
- Norwegian flatbrod (flatbread) or crispbread on the side
- boiled whole small potatoes served in a separate bowl alongside the soup
- lingonberry jam on the bread as a traditional accompaniment
- Norwegian aquavit, sipped cold between spoonfuls at a celebratory table
- mild lager or sparkling water
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days; store the meatballs in the broth and skim any fat that rises before reheating.
- Reheat gently over medium-low heat to a bare simmer so the meatballs do not toughen from aggressive boiling.
- The broth alone freezes well for up to 3 months; freeze before adding the meatballs and make fresh meatballs when reheating.
Equipment
- 6-8 quart stockpot or Dutch oven for the long broth simmer
- fine-mesh strainer for clarifying the broth
- spider or slotted spoon for removing allspice and skimming foam
- small teaspoon or melon baller for shaping the grape-sized meatballs
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