Soup Season
Lamb Shank, Bean and Vegetable Soup
Lamb Shank Soup on the bench
I am a real eat with the seasons girl..Salads, sandwiches and smoothies in summer then soup, stews and puddings in winter. My restless nature lends itself to being a fan of shoulder seasons when the weather starts to turn. I'm always ready to embrace the changing temperature, skies and associated activities be they hitting the beach or snuggling on the couch in front of a good movie.
If I had to choose one style of meal however it would hands down, be a good soup. Just to give you a little more useless information, my soup preference is a chunky, nourishing one pot meal style with beans, veggies, protein, pasta, rice, herbs, tomato, stock etc. Basically, get a pot and empty the fridge in. Think minestrone with a lovely olive oil slick and fresh herb, any soup with pearl barley (yummy) or a good Asian style chicken, veg and noodle number.
Yesterday I turned my hand to creating my first soup of the season with the driving ingredient being lamb shanks. Just to add to the long list of foods I love, let's throw down good old Aussie lamb. The rich, oily mouth feel of slow cooked lamb is in my top ten for sure. If you're looking for great quality grass fed lamb my go too suppliers would be Marybrook Lamb from our picturesque Southwest and Dirty Clean Food. Both deliver to your door and raise well cared for and respected animals on thoughtfully managed land.
Anyway, I could rattle on about soup and produce and food all day. What you really came for is the recipe so here it is. This recipe makes a mega pot so feel free to halve the ingredients if you don't have a big family to feed. Or you could make the whole lot a drop some off to a loved one. Nothing says I love you like a warm pot of soup!
As I always say with my recipes, I support you making it a choose your own adventure situation so, I have included some notes below for tweaks and changes you might enjoy implementing.
Enjoy and stay warm lovelies. x Kate
Ingredients
6 lamb shanks
6 fat garlic cloves squished with the back of a knife and peeled.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 capsicums, red, diced
1/2 cup tomato paste
500g cherry tomatoes blended to a chunky juice (or 2 x 450g tins tomato pulp)
1 large, sweet potato, peeled and grated
3 Tbsp cup rosemary, finely chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups cold cooked rice (leftover)
later
1 cup dried kidney beans, simmered in 4 cups water for 20 mins until rehydrated
1/2 cauliflower chopped
4 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat oven to 220C
Lay shanks out on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 mins until the fat has rendered and the flesh has caramelised.
Meanwhile...
Heat the remaining oil in a LARGE pot over medium high heat and add the garlic.
Cook the garlic until fragrant then add onion, carrot, celery, capsicum and cook for 10 mins until the veggies have softened.
Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook off with the veggies for five minutes until just starting to catch on the bottom. This will boost the flavour and sweeten the paste.
Add the tomato pulp, sweet potato, rosemary stock, water and rice and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
When the shanks are ready add them to the pot, making sure they are submerged.
Pop a lid on the pot and cook on a low simmer for 3 hrs until the meat is falling away from the shanks.
Remove the shanks and meat from the pot to a large bowl.
Once cool enough to handle, separate the meat from any bones and gristle. Return the meat to the pot and discard the rest.
Add the drained beans and remaining vegetables to the pot and simmer until the veggies are just cooked. 15 mins.
Adjust soupiness by adding extra water as required or thicken by lifting the heat to a simmer to reduce the liquid.
Season to taste and enjoy
Serve with
Garlic Bread
Fresh Herbs
Pesto
Cook’s Notes
Swap out lamb shanks for beef Osso Bucco
Make it spicy - Add 2 Tbsp of Garam Masala in with the veggies at the beginning.
Swap out veggies - Try two zucchinis grated rather than sweet potato / Add chopped kale / remove the cauliflower and replace with root veggies like turnip or parsnip.
Broth - If you want more of a broth style soup leave out the tomato pulp and add 3 cups of chicken bone broth.
Beans for Barley - Leave out the beans for pearl barley (or whatever grain you have to hand).
Leave out beans and add 2 cups of cooked pasta right at the end (something small)
What I love about this soup!
Protein, carbs and nutrition galore
Extra minerals from cooking the bone in the soup
One pot meal
Easy to tweak with available ingredients