Lamb Shank and Vegetable Soup …

Lamb Shank and Vegetable Soup 001

 

I love soup and nothing warms me in winter quite like a delicious, hearty bowl of homemade soup … a little bowl of goodness!!  I haven’t had much success with lamb shanks in the past but I was determined not to give up, so I tried again … and boy, I’m glad I did.  This recipe produced a richly-flavoured soup with tender, succulent lamb that literally fell off the bone.

 

I served this with thickly sliced Sour Dough Bread (toasted), sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese and a dash of parmesan and then popped under the grill for just a couple of minutes!  Yummy, it’s definitely a winner.  This soup was also friendly on the hip pocket as it only needed four lamb shanks.  It made enough for dinner, lunch for hubby the next day, two helpings for Miss 24 who now lives out of home and another serving for four, which I froze for another night.

 

Lamb Shank and Vegetable Soup ...
 
Author:
Ingredients ...
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or other oil)
  • 4 lamb shanks (French-trimmed if possible)
  • 1 large brown onion, chopped coarsely
  • 2 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes
  • 3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 small red capsicum, remove seeds and chop into large chunks
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 medium red fresh chilli, finely chopped with seeds removed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 beef stock cubes
  • 800g can diced tomatoes
  • 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 400g can corn kernels
  • 1 cup frozen baby peas
  • 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped and loosely packed
Method ...
  1. Heat oil in large frypan, cook lamb shanks until lightly browned all over and then place in slow cooker.
  2. Add remaining ingredients except for corn, frozen peas and fresh coriander and cook, covered on low for 9 hours.
  3. Remove the lamb shanks from the slow cooker, remove the meat from the bones (you may need to let them cool a little), shred the meat and discard the bones.
  4. Stir the meat, peas, corn and fresh coriander into the pot, allow those ingredients to heat through, serve and enjoy.

 

Clever Tricks, Tips & Hints:
 

If you’re pressed for time in the morning, prepare this dish the night before.  Brown the lamb shanks, chop the vegetables, measure the remaining ingredients, place in the slow cooker bowl and refrigerate.   In the morning, place the bowl in the slow cooker, cover and switch on.

 

This soup is quite mild (my kids just love it) but if you’re concerned about it being spicy, omit the chilli and use one teaspoon of cumin instead of two.

 

 So tell me, do you cook much soup in winter and which soup is your favourite?

 

Comments

  1. This looks wonderfully hearty! I love nothing more than a big bowl of soup and some bread for dinner 😀

    • This soup is so delicious, Lorraine. Full of flavour and the slow cooker does all the work for you. Definitely a great meal if you have to work all day!