White Bean and Lamb Soup

This lamb soup features great Northern beans, carrots, and celery in a tomatoey broth, topped with spinach and feta for a complete meal in a bowl.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 332 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1.25 pounds ground lamb
• 0.5 pound dried great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed
• 1.5 cups canned roma tomatoes, with liquid
• 0.5 pound baby spinach leaves

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Soak dried beans in water, 8 hours to overnight. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium. Add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery; cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, then season with parsley, thyme, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add beans and broth. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté spinach in the hot saucepan until wilted. This will only take a short time, and you will not need to add more liquid to the pan.

Step 4

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with wilted spinach and feta cheese.