I always have all these mushy veggies left after braising meat, once I strain them out of the braising liquid. I usually use the liquid to make a sauce, but this time I had so much of it. Plus I didn’t want to throw out all these veggies (I need to start a compost pile asap, big goal of mine!) because they are yummy. They have been soaking in wine and stock and mingling with the juices of the lamb.
red wine, beer, and lots of veggies: mushrooms, leeks, carrots, parnsips, onions, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns.
More veggies, but raw, are at the bottom of the dish. The Lamb shanks are searing off to the right.
I placed the shanks on the bed of veggies, and then poured the wine and vegetable mix, as well as vegetable stock, over the meat and placed it in the over for 2 hours at 250 degrees and 1 more hour at 200 degrees.
A friend told me today that all the nutrients are leached out of those veggies, and now reside in the braising liquid. So the marriage of mushy veggies and braising liquid puts the bulk back together with its nutrients. I decided to mix the veggies back with the extra braising liquid, add some veggie stock and water to thin it out, and puree it all in my vitamix. Voila, I had a soup!
The soup garnish is pulled lamb shank, roasted shishito peppers (gave it some heat), paper thin radish slices, and a bit of lemon zest to brighten things up. Oh, and a drizzle of olive oil, just to make it more beautiful 🙂
This was lunch today, with a salad of red leaf lettuce, endive, radish, granny smith apple, and avocado.
Quiet Nourishment 