Hearty Lamb & Vegetable Soup

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This recipe is a take on my Mother’s authentic Jamaican recipe.  She would add a little bit of this and that with a few chilli peppers along the way (which I haven’t)!!  What I love about it is the broth is warming, delicious and full of flavour, surrounded by soft melt in the mouth meat and chunks of gorgeous veggies. This is a winter warmer for sure.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook time: 90 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
600g lamb neck / ribs or any cuts with bone
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp celery salt
pinch of chilli powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1.5 litre chicken (lamb) stock
3 large waxy potatoes, peeled & diced
3 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 fresh chilli pepper (hot), chopped *Optional

Instructions

Hearty Lamb and Veggie Soup - Jax Hamilton

Drizzle olive oil into a large pot.  When hot at add the lamb and sprinkle over the paprika, thyme, celery salt and chilli. Seal the meat in the oil and spices until browned all over.  Remove from the pot and set aside.

Place the garlic, onions and 2nd measure of thyme in the same pan, toss the mixture around until the onions and garlic are soft, translucent and smell divine.

Return the lamb to the pot with the onion mixture, allow it all to sweat on a low heat for around 5 minutes (give the pot a stir now and again).  Increase the heat, carefully pour in the stock, bring to a boil.

Give the soup a good stir, reduce the heat, pop the lid on and cook for 1 hour or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Add the chopped vegetables and cook until  your veggies are just soft (or how you love them).

For added intensity – pop 1 chopped chilli pepper plus seeds in now.

SERVE : Sprinkled with thyme leaves, ladled into warm bowls, with hunks of warm buttered bread.  Think armchair, think winter nights. Think roaring fire.

JAX SAYS : you can cook this soup long and slow in a crock pot or slow cooker.