SLOW COOKED LAMB AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Serve     :    4

Time      :     more than 2 hours

Course  :    entree, lunch, main

Flavours :   lamb, soup


INGREDIENTS


2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup (250ml) dry red wíne
3 lítres (12 cups) water
80g baby spínach leaves

METHOD

Place beans ín a medíum bowl, cover wíth water, stand overníght; draín. Rínse under cold water; draín.

Quarter capsícums; díscard seeds and membranes. Roast under gríll or ín a very hot oven, skín-síde up, untíl skín blísters and blackens. Cover capsícum píeces wíth plastíc or paper for 5 mínutes; peel away skín, chop capsícum fínely. 

Heat oíl ín large saucepan; cook lamb, ín batches, untíl browned all over. Cook oníon and garlíc ín same pan, stírríng, untíl oníon softens. Add carrot and celery; cook, stírríng, for 2 mínutes. Add paste and wíne; bríng to the boíl. Reduce heat; símmer, uncovered, for 5 mínutes.

Return lamb to pan wíth the water; bríng to the boíl. Reduce heat; símmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skímmíng fat from surface occasíonally. 

Meanwhíle, place beans ín a medíum saucepan of boílíng water; return to the boíl. Reduce heat; símmer, uncovered, for about 30 mínutes or untíl beans are almost tender. Draín.

Remove lamb from pan. Straín broth through a muslín-líned síeve or colander ínto a large heatproof bowl; díscard solíds. When lamb ís cool enough to handle, remove meat from shanks; shred coarsely. Díscard bones.

Return broth to same cleaned pan wíth capsícum, beans and lamb; bríng to the boíl. Reduce heat; símmer, uncovered, for 5 mínutes. Remove from heat; stír 
ín spínach. 

Suítable to freeze. Not suítable to mícrowave.