Lamb and Orzo Soup
Oct. 18th, 2021 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fuzzyredI didn't cook anything last week because reasons, but I decided to venture a bit out of my comfort zone this week and cook with lamb. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds lamb shanks
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium carrots, peeled into thin ribbons or cut into short thin strips (1 cup)
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
3/4 cup dried orzo
3 cups torn fresh spinach or 1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large Dutch oven combine lamb shanks, water, broth, bay leaves, oregano, marjoram, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove shanks from Dutch oven. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat. Discard bones. Strain broth; discard bay leaves and herbs. Skim fat; return broth to Dutch oven.
3. Stir chopped meat, carrots, celery, and orzo into Dutch oven. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables and orzo are tender. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or just until fresh spinach wilts or frozen spinach is heated through. If desired, serve with Parmesan cheese.
Thoughts and Variations
I had a little less than 2 1/2 lbs of lamb (I didn't realize lamb was so expensive!), I used dried oregano and dried thyme (I couldn't find marjoram), 1 medium carrot and some baby carrots and 1 bundle of fresh spinach. I didn't read the ingredients list thoroughly, so I chopped the carrots and celery, rather than slicing them, though I think they were still a fine size.
This was a fairly easy soup to throw together, and despite my original uncertainty I did like the lamb. It was kind of fatty though (not sure if it was just this cut or if that's true of all lamb) so I think if I made this soup again I would use beef or pork instead. It was a very good soup, and a nice base for making adjustments to, if I felt like it in the future. I did try it both with and without the Parmesan cheese, and found it tasty both ways. All in all, I'm happy I made this one, even though I don't think I'd make it with lamb again.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds lamb shanks
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium carrots, peeled into thin ribbons or cut into short thin strips (1 cup)
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
3/4 cup dried orzo
3 cups torn fresh spinach or 1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large Dutch oven combine lamb shanks, water, broth, bay leaves, oregano, marjoram, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove shanks from Dutch oven. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat. Discard bones. Strain broth; discard bay leaves and herbs. Skim fat; return broth to Dutch oven.
3. Stir chopped meat, carrots, celery, and orzo into Dutch oven. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables and orzo are tender. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or just until fresh spinach wilts or frozen spinach is heated through. If desired, serve with Parmesan cheese.
Thoughts and Variations
I had a little less than 2 1/2 lbs of lamb (I didn't realize lamb was so expensive!), I used dried oregano and dried thyme (I couldn't find marjoram), 1 medium carrot and some baby carrots and 1 bundle of fresh spinach. I didn't read the ingredients list thoroughly, so I chopped the carrots and celery, rather than slicing them, though I think they were still a fine size.
This was a fairly easy soup to throw together, and despite my original uncertainty I did like the lamb. It was kind of fatty though (not sure if it was just this cut or if that's true of all lamb) so I think if I made this soup again I would use beef or pork instead. It was a very good soup, and a nice base for making adjustments to, if I felt like it in the future. I did try it both with and without the Parmesan cheese, and found it tasty both ways. All in all, I'm happy I made this one, even though I don't think I'd make it with lamb again.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-19 01:57 am (UTC)I'm really surprised there is no alium in this dish. You've got two thirds of the mirepoix... kinda seems heresy to leave out the onion. ;) Shank is gonna be fatty on lamb, there's not much wool on them little legs, gotta stay warm! That's what the "skim the fat" bit is about. (One doesn't wanna skim *too* much fat; need a little to hold flavour!) HMMMMM! While traditionally matzoh ball soup is chicken, there's nothing un-kosher about using lamb instead! It would make it a full-two-day operation; stew off your shanks and then fridge'em, scrape off the fat the next day early and make matzoh balls, then do step three subbing balls for orzo...
Yeah, there's a lot you could improvise on here. Could also do in the crock pot... if you use beef shanks you're gonna get a lot of marrow, which means you're gonna get a really rich broth, especially in the crock pot. Eight hours on low.... nom.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-16 05:19 pm (UTC)Thanks for the ideas on how to modify it next time; it's always lovely to see where your brain goes and what delicious things you'll think of!