Super Herby Lamb and Wild Rice Soup

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.