Ethiopian Lamb and Lentil Soup (Yebeg Shorba)

Ingredients

• 2 lb bone-in lamb shoulder pieces, cut into 2-inch chunks by your butcher, or use lamb stew meat
• 7 oz red lentils, rinsed well under cold water until water runs clear
• 14 oz fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped, about 3 medium ripe tomatoes
• 2 yellow onion, one halved for the broth, one finely diced for the base
• 6 garlic cloves, 4 smashed for broth, 2 minced for the base
• 1.5 oz fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons berbere spice blend, homemade or a whole-spice blend with no additives; see bulk tip for DIY version
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 10 oz fresh zucchini, diced into 1-inch pieces, about 2 small zucchini
• a large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, to finish

Method

1. Place the lamb pieces in a large pot with 6 cups of cold water, the halved onion, 4 smashed garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any grey foam that rises to the surface, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 35 minutes until the lamb is just becoming tender.
2. While the lamb simmers, heat the ghee in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
3. Add the berbere spice blend to the skillet and stir constantly for 1 minute to bloom the spices in the ghee. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, stir to combine, and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, deep-red paste.
4. Scrape the tomato and spice base into the lamb pot. Add the rinsed red lentils and stir everything together. Taste the broth and add salt as needed. Bring back to a simmer over medium heat.
5. Add the diced zucchini to the pot. Simmer uncovered for a further 20 minutes until the lentils have fully dissolved into the broth, thickening the soup, and the lamb is completely tender and falling from the bone. Remove the halved onion pieces and any loose bones.
6. Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls and finish generously with fresh cilantro. Serve as is or alongside injera if available.

Batch cooking tip

• To make your own berbere blend from whole spices, combine 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, half a teaspoon each of ground coriander, ground fenugreek, ground allspice, ground ginger, and ground cardamom. This soup thickens considerably as it cools due to the lentils; when reheating bulk portions, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water per serving and stir well before serving. The flavour deepens noticeably on day two.