Clem's hearty lamb-and-samp soup

"The first place my wife (then girlfriend) and I lived was a tiny, and I mean tiny, apartment in Sea Point. The only cooking appliances we had was a microwave and a single cooking plate, but the dishes we created using them were magical. The first winter we spent in our micro apartment was a rough one. We embraced the cold, wet weather by meal-prepping the most delicious soups. With our student budget, we managed to buy two lamb shanks, on promotion. The soup was unbelievably delicious. The shredded lamb added flavour and texture while the samp thickened the soup. Today it's a soup we only make once a year, when winter has properly made its presence known, and it's a dish that takes us back to when we just started dating and began working in this delicious, creative industry as young, super-eager interns."

 

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INGREDIENTS

  • 4 T  extra virgin olive oil
  • 550 g Minestrone soup mix
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 4 bay leaves
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 75 g masala fresh paste
  • 2 large lamb shanks
  • water, to cover
  • 2 x 410 g cans samp and beans

For the herb topping:

  • 20 g coriander, roughly chopped
  • 20 g mint, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

METHOD

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the minestrone soup mix, curry leaves and bay leaves and mix. Season to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are just soft.
  2. Stir in the tomato and masala paste, adding a little water if necessary, just enough to thin out the paste. Once the paste is combined, add the lamb shanks and coat in the curry-seasoned vegetables.
  3. Lightly season, then cover the ingredients with water, submerging them to a depth of 3 cm. Add the samp and beans and combine.
  4. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and half-cover with a lid. Slowly cook for 2 - 2½ hours (depending on the size of the lamb shanks), stirring often. The meat should easily come off the bone when done.
  5. Remove the shanks and carefully pull the meat from the bone. Return the meat to the soup, along with the bones. Combine and season to taste once more if necessary.
  6. To make the herb topping, combine the coriander and mint with the garlic and lemon juice. Serve the soup in soup bowls with a few spoonsful of the herb topping.