This is a hearty and delicious lamb and chickpea soup, that makes a perfect winter meal.
The recipe is adapted from The Big Book of Soups by The Australian Women's Weekly.
Ingredients:
2 x 400 g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 lamb shanks (appr. 1 kg)
150 g onion, finely chopped
240 g carrots, coarsely grated (or finely chopped, if preferred)
300 g stalks celery, trimmed and sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
500 ml chicken stock
1 l water
8 large stalks silver beet (swiss chard)
60 ml lemon juice (optional)
season to taste
Method:
Trim excess fat from the meat. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat; cook lamb in batches, until browned. Remove from the pan.
Cook onion in same pan until soft.
Add carrot, celery, garlic and cumin, cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
Place lamb into a deep saucepan with stock and water, add carrot and onion mix.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 2 hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove meat from the pan and discard the bones. Chop meat coarsely and return to the saucepan.
Add chickpeas and silver beet to the soup, simmer, uncovered until beet just wilts.
Adjust the seasoning, serve and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
