Lamb soup with beans and veggies

admin January 23, 2008 Adventures in the Kitchen, Soups

INGREDIENTS
2 cans of white beans or 1/2 pound dried great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
a generous portion of chopped garlic from a jar (~2-3 T) or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
A bunch of carrots (4-5?), diced
Several stalks of celery, diced
1 16-oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (mine had garlic & onion mixed in)
Generous shakes of parsley, thyme, oregano (the original recipe called for 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
fresh ground black pepper
A scoop of bouillon and ~4 cups of water (original recipe called for 6 cups chicken broth)
A bunch of chard (I picked 8-10 leaves from the greenhouse; original recipe called for 1/2 pound baby spinach leaves)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Soak the dried beans in water overnight. After soaking, drain off remaining water, and rinse.
In a large stockpot, cook the onion in oil over low heat until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium, and add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, and season. Add beans and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, then add chopped chard, adding the stalks about 2 minutes before the leaves. Serve topped with crumbled feta.