This lamb and wild rice soup is piquant and refreshing, thanks to the addition of fresh herbs, seranno chilies, and lots of lime.
Why this recipe works:
- Adding in the herb/garlic/chili mixture at the very end maintains the freshness of the ingredients.
- Cooking and storing the rice separately keeps it from getting soggy.
- Cumin and smoked paprika add warmth and contrast to the fresh herbs and lime.
Super Herby Lamb and Wild Rice Soup
Course: SoupsDifficulty: Easy6
servingsIngredients
Oil
1 pound lamb stew meat, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 onion, finely diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
½ tbsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp smoked paprika
¾ cup white wine or dry vermouth
5 cups beef or chicken stock, homemade preferred
¾ cup wild rice
2.5 oz mixed herbs: mint, parsley, and cilantro (about 2 cups once very finely chopped).
Juice and zest of 3 limes
1 tsp cumin
1-2 serrano chilies, minced (seeds removed for milder soup)
2 cloves garlic
Directions
- Pat the stew meat dry and season generously with salt. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Working in batches, brown the lamb on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Saute until starting to brown, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the spices and saute, stirring regularly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return the lamb to the pot and stir to coat in the spice/vegetable mixture.
- Add the wine and let simmer for a minute or so, then add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and let cook until the lamb is fall-apart tender, about 1.5 hours or longer.
- While the lamb stews, cook your wild rice according to the package instructions. Ideally, the rice should still have quite a bite to it, so undercook it slightly if needed. Season and set aside.
- Finely chop all of the herbs, you want about 2 cups once chopped. Place the herbs in a bowl along with the cumin, lime juice and zest, and minced chilies. Use a microplane to grate the garlic into the bowl. Toss to combine, then set aside.
- When the lamb is tender, taste for seasoning, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- Remove from heat, then add the herb mixture and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
- If you plan to serve all of the stew at once, you can add the rice directly to the pot. If not, spoon about ⅓ cup of rice into each bowl and top with the soup. Store the rice separately to ensure it doesn’t get too soggy.
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