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Norwegian Potato Stew (Lapskaus)

Lapskaus is deliciously simple comfort stew that will warm your body and soul.

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Let me set the scene, you’re at an outdoor festival in Door County, Wisconsin. It’s cold and you’re walking around with some warm apple cider and a bowl of this. Lapskaus! This Norwegian stew is something I grew up with every year for the fall fest. A smoky ham-infused potato stew that just tastes so refreshing. The recipe is very straightforward through my research of this. Put it all in a pot and cook it until it’s soft. At the fest, they would use crockpots. A great hearty alternative to chili for those cold winter days or a refreshing meal on a crisp summer night.

This dish is a beacon for leftover vegetables and meats, as well as simple vegetables you might have in the fridge. So pull out those turnips! Now I love eating vegetarian and please feel free to leave the ham out if you are, but the ham adds such a smoky deliciousness to the vegetables that you just can’t pass up. Ham steaks are basically salty fresh meat bouillon cubes in this recipe. Another tip, this stew is really cheap to make, so purchase a higher-quality broth. The broth makes up for a lot of the taste in the end, even a mid-level brand. Maybe utilize this recipe to help you work on your knife skills, then just cut up a ham steak and you’re good to go.

Does it get any easier than throwing all the ingredients into a pot and cooking? It’s the true witchery and magic of cooking. All these raw vegetables and meats go in and a delicious soup emerges. Wait to add fresh herbs, citrus, or even the cracked pepper until the end of cooking when it will taste the freshest. Don’t be afraid to add a little pad of butter at the end because we can.

Serves 6

15m prep time

30m cook time

4.0
Rated 4.0 out of 5
Rated by 3 reviewers
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Ingredients:
  • 2 turnips, peeled and chopped
  • 3 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 8 oz. ham steak, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
  1. Using a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add all ingredients to the pot and bring the stew up to a simmer. Let cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  2. Season the stew with salt and lots of cracked black pepper. Using an immersion blender or hand masher, lightly blend some of the stew to create a thicker viscosity. Garnish with parsley.
  3. Lapskaus!