Name: Wholesome lamb and barley soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cooking Method
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 500 g lamb neck or leftover shredded lamb; 1 tsp salt; 1/3 cup pearl barley; 1 large carrot peeled and chopped; 2 celery sticks chopped; 1 small turnip peeled and chopped; 1 medium parsnip peeled and chopped; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 3/4 l lamb stock; 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 cup green beans finely chopped (fresh or frozen); 1 1/4 cup flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup butter; 2 tsp fresh herbs parsley, mint, rosemary, finely chopped; 1 egg beaten; 1/3 cup buttermilk

Recipe Disclaimer

Tap for method

Ingredients (21)

For the soup

1 tbsp	olive oil
500 g	lamb neck — or leftover shredded lamb
1 tsp	salt
1/3 cup	pearl barley
1 large	carrot — peeled and chopped
2	celery sticks — chopped
1 small	turnip — peeled and chopped
1 medium	parsnip — peeled and chopped
1 tbsp	Worcestershire sauce
1 3/4 l	lamb stock
2 sprigs	fresh thyme — or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp	black pepper
1 cup	green beans — finely chopped (fresh or frozen)

For the ingredients

1 1/4 cup	flour
2 tsp	baking powder
1/2 tsp	salt
1/4 tsp	black pepper
1/4 cup	butter
2 tsp	fresh herbs — parsley, mint, rosemary, finely chopped
1	egg — beaten
1/3 cup	buttermilk

Tap for ingredients

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season the lamb and brown the meat in the saucepan.

Add the barley and fry for another minute. Add the carrots, celery, turnips and parsnip and cook for 5 minutes more until softened.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, stock and thyme, cover and cook for 45 minutes over medium heat, until meat is tender and vegetables soft.

When everything is cooked, spoon about ¼ of the soup (without the meat) into a jug and puree with a stick blender. Stir the blended soup back into the rest of the soup. Season with pepper.

Add the green beans and place the dumpling mixture (recipe below) on top of the soup. Close the saucepan tightly and simmer for 20 minutes until the dumplings are cooked.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs and serve with granary bread.

To make the dumplings:

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together.

Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the chopped herbs.

Mix the beaten egg with the buttermilk and stir into the flour mixture to form a soft dough.

Use a tablespoon and dip the spoon into the soup. Scoop spoonsful of dough and place carefully in the soup. Cover the soup with a tightly fitting lid.

Simmer and let the steam cook the dumplings for 20 minutes.

Supported by the Red Meat Industry of SA. Recipes and styling by Gerrie du Rand and photos by Michelle Parkin.