Spiced Lamb & Lentil Soup

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

600g lamb shoulder, cut into 8 cm pieces

Sea salt

1 onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of the knife

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric 

1 cinnamon stick

400g can crushed tomatoes

2L chicken or vegetable stock

Pinch of saffron threads

250g puy lentils, rinsed

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Large handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Large handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped

Black pepper

Lemon wedges, to serve

Full-fat plain yoghurt, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt, add to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion, celery and carrot to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and beginning to colour. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Return the lamb to the pan and add the tomatoes, stock and saffron. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1.5 hours or until the lamb is tender.

Add the lentils to the pan and cook for 25-30 minutes or until they are tender. Add the chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir through most of the herbs, reserving some to serve, and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup with plenty of lemon wedges, the remaining herbs and a dollop of yoghurt.