Another hearty soup for those cold winter nights, and believe me, it is FREEZING in the Adelaide Hills tonight. I was working all day today, so I let this just tick along on the combustion stove and it is just what I needed after a very long day.
Lamb Shanks are the one of the most delicious parts of the sheep and, in my opinion, one of the best cuts to use for soups, the other is the neck, ask your butcher, they usually throw it away. Both cuts are full of flavour and gelatinous material that lends a very melting quality to a lamb soup, as well as mounds of nourishment!
Lamb Shank Soup
2 lamb shanks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
6 cloves garlic, crushed
Water
4 potatoes, diced
2 cups diced pumpkin
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed
Brown your lamb shanks in a large pot in the oil over a moderately high heat. When brown all over add your onion and carrot, continue to cook until all showing some nice colour.
Now, add the garlic and rosemary, cook for one more minute, then cover the lot with plenty of water and simmer for at least two hours, preferably four. You will know when your shanks are done when they look like this -
If the meat falls off the bone and you have to dig for it, even better, above all it must be meltingly tender. Put this aside for a minute and toss in your potato and pumpkin, your drained chick peas and lentils.
As soon as you can handle it, strip the meat off the bones, cut or tear it up and return to your soup. Simmer until the potato and pumpkin are beginning to fall apart, season to taste and enjoy.
MMMMM!
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