My final farewell to Winter this week is this soup. A rich tomato base, with the zesty twang of lemon and parmesan make this soup very moreish. The addition of barley makes it a hearty meal.  It is not good manners to boast about something you have made…. but this soup is seriously good! I ate spoon after spoon while it was cooking (in the interest of taste testing).

• Serves: 4 as an entree or 2 adults (there was none left for the kids!)
• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 and 1/2 hours to 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 lamb shanks
• 1/4 cup of barley
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 4 cups of water
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 bay leaves
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 large sprigs of rosemary
• fresh parmesan to serve and crusty bread

Steps:

1. To a large wide soup pot add the garlic and a drizzle of oil  
2. Add the shanks and cook on medium heat until browned, turning as required
3. Add the remaining ingredients (not the parmesan) and cook on a low simmer with the lid off for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. You can remove the meat from the bone and discard those, or leave it on.
4. Serve into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan and crusty bread

Farewell Winter! I love slow cooked, winter meals but I am looking forward to moving into Spring and am eagerly anticipating the start to a more productive period in my vegetable patches.

Forgive me if I sneak in a few pasta dishes in the coming months while the weather is still cool before it is shelved for the warmer months 🙂

What are you looking forward to in Spring?