Lamb Minestrone

By Claudine Noppe

Absolutely nothing says comfort food like a hearty bowl of rich minestrone soup and warm crusty bread. Minestrone does veg soup like no other. The rich tomato base that is jam packed with veggie goodness can only be made better by one thing: lamb. Yes, this classic vegetarian staple is getting a lambtastic make over. Not very far from the original minestrone, the only difference with my version is the addition of lamb. Starting the soup with some browned lamb knuckle creates a depth of flavour that cannot be extracted from veggies alone. Another great thing about this soup is how forgiving it is, any vegetables can be added and it will remain delicious. You can also leave it on the stove and just forget about it for a couple of hours. It’s easy, tasty and heartwarming. What else can you ask for in a soup?

This soup freezes extremely well. Cool the soup and place it in air tight containers, freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove from freezer and place in fridge overnight. Re-heat in the microwave or on the stove. I am never in the mood to cook on a Friday, so I always have some freezer meals at the ready. This is easily one of my favorite heat and eat meals!

Click here for the downloadable recipe

Ingredients:

*serves 4 - 6

·         500 g lamb knuckle

·         1 onion, chopped

·         2 celery stalks, chopped

·         3 medium carrots, chopped

·         1 clove of garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon tomato paste

·         1 tin chopped tomatoes

·         250 g of mushrooms, quartered

·         5 baby marrows, chopped

·         Handful of fresh parsley

·         3 rosemary stems

·         2 bay leaves

·         7,5 ml dried oregano

·         1 tin white cannellini beans

·         3 big handfuls of spinach

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Brown the lamb knuckles evenly on both sides in a very hot pot. Salt on both sides.

2. Remove the browned lamb from the pot and set aside. In the fat that has rendered add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Once the onions are soft add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, fill the tin with water and add that to the pot as well. You can add enough water to fill the pot. The mushrooms, baby marrows, parsley, rosemary, bay leaves and oregano also go in the pot. Put the browned lamb back in the soup and add the lid. Leave the soup to boil for 2 – 3 hours on a low heat, or until the meat falls from the bones.

4. Add the cannellini beans and spinach and cook the soup for a further 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to your tastes.

5. Serve with some toasted ciabatta or any crusty bread.