Sort of a Minestrone

Lamb soup with veggies and pasta

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Serves

3 - 4

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Rather like a thin stew, this can be a starter or a main – just bulk out with extra vegetables. You could also make it with diced chicken thigh or keep it purely vegetarian.

This recipe is from the Reachout Waiheke Community Day at

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Ingredients

  • 500g diced Quality Mark lamb

    remove any excess fat or sinew
  • olive oil

    or vegetable oil
  • 2 onions

    peeled and sliced
  • 8 garlic cloves

    peeled and sliced
  • 1 thumb fresh ginger

    peeled and finely chopped or grated
  • 2 Tbsp fresh herbs

    roughly chopped
  • 2 carrots

    scrubbed and diced
  • 2 celery stalks

    sliced
  • 800ml diced tomatoesi

  • 2½ litres hot water

  • 1 large potato

    scrubbed or peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 100g dried pasta

    smashed in a tea towel with a rolling pin
  • 1 courgette

    thinly sliced into discs
  • a handful green beans

    topped, cut into 1cm lengths
  • ½ cup cheese

    grated

Method

1

Gently fry the lamb in 2 tsp oil until browned all over. Remove to a plate leaving any fats in the pan.

2

Add another 2 tsp oil to the pan and caramelise the onions, garlic, ginger and herbs with 1½ tsp flaky salt (1 tsp fine salt), stirring occasionally. Return the lamb and any juices and add the carrots, celery, tomato and water and bring to the boil. Cook 2 hours over gentle boil until the lamb begins to feel tender – it depends how large the lamb pieces are.

3

Add the potato and cook another 15 minutes.

4

Add the smashed pasta, zucchini and beans and cook until the pasta is just done – al dente – about 8 – 10 minutes.

5

Taste for seasoning, ladle into bowls and scatter with the cheese.