Lamb Shank and Vegetable Soup
I blame Jamie Oliver for putting up the price of lamb shanks, they used to be a cheap off cut that you could use to flavour soups and stews, now they are showing up on restaurant menus at the same price as a prime cut of beef steak. On the bright side as their reputation as a cut of meat has improved you’ll impress your friends when you serve them up this delicious and simple to make soup. This recipe will easily serve 6 and I enjoy it with some crusty bread.
Ingredients
2 Lamb Shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sized onions
3 stalks celery
1 clove garlic
1 bay leave
12 peppercorns
3 diced carrots
1 diced turnip
1 diced swede
1 tin (440 gram) diced tomatoes
12 cups water
1 tablespoon powdered chicken stock
1/2 cup soup mix
Method
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot
2. Brown lamb shanks in the oil turning frequently
3. Remove lamb shanks and set aside on a plate
4. Add onion and garlic to the pan, stirring frequently until onion is soft (3-4 minutes)
5. Add water to the pan followed by the rest of the ingredients including the lamb shanks
6. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally
7. Remove from heat, remove lamb shanks and set them aside on a dish
8. Let everything cool for about 30 minutes then remove bones and fat from lamb shanks, pull apart the meat into bite size chunks.
9. Use a skimmer to remove any fat from the pot, nows a good time to remove and dispose of the bay leave too.
10. Add meat back to the soup and heat to serve.
I like shanks. I also sympathize about the cheap cuts. It’s frustrating to see a cheap cut suddenly become trendy and, thus, also pricey.