Spiced spring lamb shank and lentil soup

Name: Spiced spring lamb shank and lentil soup
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 2 lamb shanks; salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper; 4 litres water; 375g green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained; 60g butter; 2 onions, diced; 5 garlic cloves, sliced; 5 carrots, peeled and diced; 4 celery stalks, sliced; 2-3cm length of turmeric, finely julienned; 1 long red chilli, sliced; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 2 bay leaves; 5 chard leaves, stripped from stems and finely chopped; 5 chard stems, very finely sliced; 150g single-podded broad beans; lemon juice, flatbread and yoghurt, to serve

Karen Martini

November 11, 2022

Spring lamb and lentil soup served with toasted mountain bread, yoghurt and sriracha.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:6

This dish somehow manages to be both warmingly intense and light on its feet, with plenty of vegetables and a gentle layer of spice. While I love quickly blanching and double-podding broad beans for their bright-green and buttery inner beauty, I also love them well-braised like this (and I adore well-cooked chard). Serve with flatbread and a dollop of yoghurt.

Ingredients

100ml extra virgin olive oil
2 lamb shanks
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
4 litres water
375g green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
60g butter
2 onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
5 carrots, peeled and diced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2-3cm length of turmeric, finely julienned
1 long red chilli, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
5 chard leaves, stripped from stems and finely chopped
5 chard stems, very finely sliced
150g single-podded broad beans
lemon juice, flatbread and yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Heat 50ml of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy casserole pot over medium heat, then add the shanks. Season with salt and pepper and cook, rotating, until lightly browned all over. Add the water, bring to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes, partially covered, then remove the lamb shanks and strain the stock.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lentils in lightly salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and turmeric. Cook for about 10 minutes until lightly golden, then add the chilli, spices and bay leaves, and stir through. Add the stock, shanks and lentils, then simmer slowly for 45 minutes until the meat is starting to fall away from the bone. Add the chard and broad beans and cook for 30 minutes, topping with a little water if it becomes too thick.
4. To serve, use a fork to strip the meat from the shanks. Remove the bones. Check the seasoning and squeeze in plenty of lemon juice. Serve with yoghurt and flatbread. This dish is even better the next day, when the flavours have melded and intensified.
Serving suggestion: toast mountain bread in a sandwich press until crunchy, then crumple it over each bowl of stew, topping with a dollop of yoghurt and squirt of sriracha (as pictured).