One of my pet peeves is this: I go out to eat at a “nice” restaurant, I order soup, I taste the soup, it tastes CANNED. AAAAh!!!! Am I nuts or do other people feel as annoyed as I do?
Soup is so important! I mean, anybody can throw a piece of meat on a grill and serve it with some veggies! Big deal! The other day, I was invited at a seafood place. O.K. I order lobster bisque and not only did it taste canned but it had so much cream in it, I could barely swallow it.
My point is this: A good soup takes times. The broth needs to be homemade. That’s why when I take the time to make this homey Lebanese soup, it is consumed within the hour; yet it takes me 2 days to make it.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 nice lamb shanks
- 4 onions
- 1 large can of Italian tomatoes or Pomi or 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes
- 3 or 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced thick
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves
- spices for the broth: thyme, sprig of parsley, a few cloves of garlic, some cloves, some peppercorns, a bay leaf.
- 1 1/2 cups of white beans or any type of bean that you like.
METHOD:
- Make the lamb stock: Brown the shanks in a little oil on all sides. Add at least 6 cups of water to the pot and one onion and all the spices.
- Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least one hour. Cook until the lamb falls off the bone. Cool and when it has been refrigerated for a while, take off any fat that has congealed on the surface.
- Chop the onions; in a skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil; add the onions, fry till golden; add the tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes. Cool and puree in a blender. Set aside.
- Reheat the lamb stock, remove the shanks and set aside. Add the beans to the stock and simmer, adding more water; add the carrots and garlic cloves, simmer till the beans are cooked. Add the tomato sauce, cook 20 minutes longer.
- Remove all the fat and membranes from the shanks, keeping the meat pieces which will fall off the bone easily. Add to the soup.
- Serve hot, garnish with some parsley.
18 Comments
This is why I don’t order soups at restaurants. I’ve just never had any that I’ve really been WOWed by. I could see myself being wowed by yours though. Love lamb…serious love.
Joumana, there are some canned beans that are rather good but I surely wouldn’t never expect a restaurant to serve me up canned beans. My pet peeve is processed dips that could/can be made daily from scratch.
We call beans Fassolia…small world!
Canned soup at a restaurant is a sin! It shows no pride in one’s work, a real shame.
I usually don’t eat soups….esp. not in the restaurants.
Yours bean soup looks absolutely classic.
that looks so flavorful and delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
I love this soup!!
there’s nothing more satisfying than a hot and delicious bowl of homemade soup with fresh ingredients! this lamb shank and bean soup looks so amazing.
oh wow great soup nothing beats homemade soup
loved the colour of the dish,looks superb….
Omg wat a fantastic soup, first time here and u have beautiful space…love browsing through urs..
Your soup looks so rich and luscious and the only way you can get that is to make it and let it simmer for hours.
mmm soup. homemade soup. and that too, with a meaty, fatty lamb shank. beans and meat were just meant to go together, Joumana, werent they? x shayma
Absolutely! Soup should not taste canned at all when you’re in a restaurant! I coudlnt’ helpbut think that a restaurant that would serve canned soup would make shortcuts everywhere else too! This soup however looks heavenly!
wow what a great soup! Perfect for these cold days!
Yes, I found whole wheat couscous at Trader Joe’s!
I love soups…So I, too, always order soup when we go out. Your looks like comfort food!
voilà qui me rend nostalgique!! j’adore ce genre de plats et c’est parfait pour le climat du moment..
bisous
My dear hubby never let me order salads & soups in the restaurants…..I should say thanks to him….Iove the lamb soup….
Perfect for winters!