Lamb and white-bean soup
Published December 12, 1981
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound dried great northern beans
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 lamb shanks, about 1 pound each
10 cups water
1 ½ cups peeled and diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh parsley tied in a bundle
3 sprigs fresh thyme tied in a bundle or ½ teaspoon dried
2 whole cloves
20 peppercorns
Salt, if desired
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
17 grams carbs; 82 milligrams cholesterol; 340 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1271 milligrams sodium; 26 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Soak the beans or not according to package recommendations.
- Step 2
Heat the butter in a kettle and add the onion, garlic and lamb shanks. Cook, stirring the onion and turning the shanks, about five minutes.
- Step 3
Drain the beans and add them to the kettle. Add the water, tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, thyme, cloves, peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to the boil and let simmer two hours.
- Step 4
Remove the shanks, bay leaf, parsley and thyme sprigs.
- Step 5
Remove the skin from the shanks. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it or cut it into small bite-size pieces. Return the meat to the soup. Reheat and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Private Notes
Comments
Typically I make recipe as written in first try of it. Not this one. We ate differently in the day when this was published. But gave me idea for lamb & white bean soup. Advice is don't fully braise shanks in soup given they throw so much fat and beans absorb it. Recommend Bittman's great easy shank braise then use meat from that in soup. https://body-change.today/recipes/1014427-slow-braised-lamb-shanks Or braise half-way from Bittman's then add to soup to finish.
I made this when the recipe first came out in the Times in 1981, almost 40 years ago, and still return to it often, sometimes adding more and different herbs, a bit of mushroom stock base for umami, always way more garlic - the lamb and beans need it. Some good wine goes in most times. I don't eat meat regularly anymore, but I would not swear off this forever, if I can get ethically raised lamb from our local farm. This soup transcends my past and future.
Typically I make recipe as written in first try of it. Not this one. We ate differently in the day when this was published. But gave me idea for lamb & white bean soup. Advice is don't fully braise shanks in soup given they throw so much fat and beans absorb it. Recommend Bittman's great easy shank braise then use meat from that in soup. https://body-change.today/recipes/1014427-slow-braised-lamb-shanks Or braise half-way from Bittman's then add to soup to finish.
A solid recipe that covers the basics and can be infinitely varied. I'm using lamb neck, dried tomatoes, a bit of preserved lemon. Will probably add some arborio rice at the end this time. But if you need a reminder of the steps to get the soup going (allium, sear the meat, add water and herbs), you can't go wrong with this. Claiborne and Franey are good that way!