Lamb Shank Soup
Lamb Shank Soup - tender, slowly braised lamb shanks in a warming vegetable soup. Perfect family food for the changing weather.
Servings 4
Calories 437kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lamb shanks fat trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 300 g bacon roughly chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1 baby fennel bulb chopped
- 1 brown onion chopped
- 6 chats/mini/baby potatoes chopped
- 4 fresh garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 3 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 250 ml dry white wine
- 1 L beef stock
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 500 ml water
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large heavy-based pot, heat the olive oil and fry the lamb shanks on all sides until well browned, then remove and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 lamb shanks
- Meanwhile, place fennel seeds in a small frying pan and toast over low heat until slightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the pan then finely grind in a mortar and pestle and set aside.2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- Add baby fennel bulb, carrots, bacon, brown onion and chat potatoes to the pot and fry until they start to soften.300 g bacon, 3 carrots, 1 baby fennel bulb, 1 brown onion, 6 chats/mini/baby potatoes
- Mix in garlic and tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Then add dry white wine and allow to reduce slightly.4 fresh garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 250 ml dry white wine
- Add fresh thyme leaves, ground toasted fennel seeds, fine salt and reserved shanks to the pot. Top with beef stock and water, and simmer until lamb is tender and vegetables are cooked through. About 1 to 1½ hours depending on the size of your shanks.3 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 L beef stock, ½ teaspoon fine salt, 500 ml water
- When lamb is tender, remove the shanks from the soup base and shred the meat, discarding bones and fat. Return shredded lamb to soup base and serve.
Notes
- Brown your shanks well, this is the stage that really helps build the flavour.
- You may notice from the process shots above that my shanks were halved in the middle. This is how they came when I purchased them, and isn't necessary to the recipe at all. Full shanks are great.
- The dry toasted fennel seeds may seem like a bit of a bother, but they give the most wonderful warm flavour to this lamb soup. Please don't skip this step! If you don't have a mortar and pestle you could use a spice grinder.
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal