Undoubtedly, slow and steady truly does win the race. This is a nourishing soup with layers of fresh, meritorious flavors. Think of adding rice, pasta, or assembling a salad or sandwich to go with it. This soup tastes marvelous with a dollop of goat cheese and a buttery, toasty hunk of French baguette. The result is a reflection of time, patience, and quality ingredients in which herbaceous notes, citrus, and hints of sweetness meld together in a savory, drinkable brine.
By Sophia Feliciano
Photos By Eric Fallecker
Last week I personified a reckless rogue with a debit card. To explain further, I now own a completely useless and unnecessary blinged out eye mask which I wore for a grand total of three hours at a Halloween masquerade party. Here’s to hoping that I might wear this accessory again some day. Perhaps I will be more eccentric than usual on my next birthday. Either way, I felt genuinely ashamed and convicted in the wake of this whimsical impulse purchase. I told myself, “Sophia, you need to be punished!” I reproached myself with a week long sentence of soup consumption. It’s holiday time and I need to save my funds being that my parents expect somewhat decent gifts from me now that I have a stable big girl job. Thus I responded to this self inflicted challenge with zeal and determination. Yes, I will persist with this soup until the very last drop and it shall prove delectable.
Last Monday I was scheduled to work overnight at one of my store accounts which allotted some day time for a food run. Just to be clear, elves are not the culprits who change your local grocery store layout when you’re away; that is what sales reps and merchandisers are for! Yet I digress in the telling of this anecdote; due to my topsy turvy schedule, I was able to pay the farmer’s market a visit under one condition. I could spend no more than ten dollars. I can tell you now friends that I did not succeed. I spent $10.50, but close enough. I was able to procure a beautiful and exotic Kabocha squash, carrots, onions, garlic, opal basil, and parsley. For nine dollars, I purchased a singular grass fed, organic lamb shank at my local Whole Foods. I spent another six on a bottle of modest red table wine for cooking. You always want to go with a modest and palatable wine; you might just consume the excess while cooking.
I combined the above ingredients with two apples I had on hand alongside dried lentils, oregano, and juniper berries. I confidently left the concoction to slow cook over night while I was away. I whistled while I worked as I imagined the elements getting along swimmingly in their succulent bath. Undoubtedly, slow and steady truly does win the race; for today, I tasted a nourishing soup with layers of fresh, meritorious flavors. This brew replenished and enlivened my inanimate being; I was a complete zombie before the spoon hit my lips. I now have over ten quarts of savory soup to imbibe over the course of a week. I can always add rice, pasta, or assemble a salad or sandwich to go with. This soup tastes marvelous with a dollop of goat cheese and a buttery, toasty hunk of French baguette.
The broth of this soup is unblemished in cultivation as the flavors are pure. The result is a reflection of time, patience, and quality ingredients in which herbaceous notes, citrus, and hints of sweetness meld together in a savory, drinkable brine.
Lentil Lamb shank soup with Kabocha squash, apples, and carrots.
- Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
Description
A hearty and flavorful Lentil Lamb Shank Soup with Carrots, Apples, and Kabocha Squash, slow-cooked to perfection with herbaceous notes and a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a Kabocha squash or 1 acorn squash
- 1 lamb shank
- 4 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 apples, diced
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 head of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch opal basil
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) red wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) dried lentils
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- Salt, to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Salt the lamb shank generously and set aside.
- Cut the Kabocha squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place the squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.
- In a large slow cooker, combine the roasted squash, lamb shank, carrots, apples, onions, garlic, parsley, opal basil, red wine, lentils, oregano, and juniper berries.
- Add enough water to cover the ingredients completely.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, or until the lamb is tender and the flavors have melded together.
- Before serving, remove the lamb shank, shred the meat, and return it to the soup. Discard any bones.
- Season the soup with additional salt to taste, if necessary.
- Serve hot, optionally with a dollop of goat cheese and a slice of buttery, toasted French baguette.
Notes
- This soup pairs well with a dollop of goat cheese and a slice of buttery, toasted French baguette.
- You can also add rice or pasta to make it more filling.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Use a modest red wine that you enjoy drinking, as it will enhance the flavor of the soup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 45 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
- Protein: 25 grams
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Zuppa di Lenticchie: Italian Lentil Soup
- Lemon and Butternut Squash Soup
- Chicken Khao Soi: Curry Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Frequently Asked Questions
What are juniper berries and why are they in this soup?
Juniper berries are the aromatic seed cones used to flavor gin; in cooking they add a piney, slightly citrusy note. I added 1 teaspoon of them to the slow cooker alongside the opal basil and oregano to contribute to the herbaceous, citrus-tinged broth.
Can I substitute another squash if I can’t find kabocha?
Yes — use 1 acorn squash as a direct alternative to half a kabocha squash. Both are roasted cut-side down at 425°F (220°C) for 30–40 minutes before going into the slow cooker.
How long does this soup cook, and how is the lamb handled at the end?
The soup slow-cooks on low for 8–10 hours. When done, remove the lamb shank, shred the meat from the bone, discard the bone, and return the shredded meat to the pot before serving. This recipe makes over 10 quarts, so expect generous leftovers — it freezes well.
What wine should I use for cooking, and what happens to the rest of the bottle?
Use 1½ cups (360 ml) of a modest, palatable red table wine — and I’ll admit I hint that you might drink the excess while cooking, so choose one you’d enjoy in a glass as well.
Megan that sounds so wonderful!!! I love pureeing sauces for thickness also. I’ve also heard you can create creaminess by adding oats and emulsifying! And I love love beer and meat together! My next recipe will be a beef and leek pie. I braised a chuck roast in a dutch oven with pilsner! Thanks for the reply!
Yum! I will definitely make this. I need to break out of my cooking rut. I just made short ribs with Guiness in my slow cooker, along with organic carrots, parsnips, onion, fresh thyme and rosemarry. After 7 hours cooking I left the pot outside (it was 30 degrees) overnight and then skimmed off the sizable amount of fat on the top the following day. Instead of adding flour or corn starch to make a thicker gravy, I heated up the sauce and pureed it in my Cuisineart. Tossed all the bones, made some mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus and it was delicious. Perfect for this chilly fall/winter weather. Wish I’d made more.