Yorkville resident’s Scandinavian delicacy declared Norwegian Soup Contest champion

After being declared champion, a Yorkville resident is bringing home the gold-colored soup pot trophy.

Barb Johnson, of Yorkville, was awarded first-place in the Norwegian Soup Contest hosted by the Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery on Feb. 2, according to a release.

Her award-winning recipe that blew away the competition was a bowl of lapskaus soup, a beef and root vegetable dish that features a Scandinavian favorite: rutabagas.

Johnson’s Lapskaus soup bested 11 other homemade soup entries, including cauliflower soup, corn chowder, broccoli cheese soup, and beef mushroom barley. Other entries included a northern Norway seafood soup, Norwegian winter soup, Blomkai supper, potato chowder, and Mexican Norwegian and onion soup.

Johnson provided her award-winning lapskaus recipe and directions on how to make the perfect Norwegian-tasting bowl.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of chuck roast
• ¾ pound carrots
• one celery root
• ¾ cut rutabagas
• one small leek
• one small onion
• two large parsnips
• three cups broth
• salt and pepper

Johnson’s recipe directions read, “Use boiled or baked meat, fresh, salted or a mixture. Cut meat into even pieces and set aside. Wash and peel carrots, celery root and rutabagas, and dice. In soup pot, bring broth to a boil and add vegetables. Cook 15 minutes. Peel and dice potatoes. Cut leeks lengthwise and wash thoroughly and slice, add peeled sliced onion and potatoes to pot. Cook until almost tender. Add meat and leftover gravy. Salt and pepper to taste. Meat, vegetables and potatoes should be tender but not mushy. Stir while cooking.”

The Sons of Norway is a non-profit organization that promotes Norwegian culture and heritage. Each year they offer financial products and services to members, according to the release.

The organization offers social-interactive activities open to the public, including language classes, cooking classes, and sports programs to celebrate members’ Norwegian heritage, according to the release.

More information on Sons of Norway can be found at their website, polarstarlodge.com/5.html or by calling 630-553-7389.