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Cawl — Welsh lamb soup with leeks and root vegetables
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/soups/cawl-welsh-lamb-soup-with-leeks-and-root-vegetables
About this recipe
Cawl is a hearty Welsh soup with tender lamb, potatoes, leeks and root vegetables in a flavorful broth. This version uses boneless shoulder trimmed of large pieces of external fat, along with carrots and rutabaga. Briefly browning the meat gives the broth a deeper flavor, while gentle simmering lets the lamb become tender without breaking up too much. The vegetables are added in stages so they flavor the soup while remaining in distinct pieces. Leeks and parsley add a fresher aroma toward the end of cooking. It makes six generous portions for a family meal; allow about 3.5 hours for preparation and slow cooking.
Ingredients
Lamb and broth
600 g raw boneless lamb shoulder, weighed after removing tough membranes and large pieces of external fat, leaving fine marbling
15 g canola oil
150 g onion, peeled weight
1500 ml water
2 g fresh thyme leaves, weighed after stripping them from tough stems
1 g fresh rosemary needles, weighed after stripping them from woody stems
6 g salt
Vegetables and finishing
250 g carrots, peeled weight
250 g rutabaga, peeled weight
400 g waxy or all-purpose potatoes, peeled weight
250 g leek, trimmed white and pale green parts
1 g ground black pepper
10 g fresh parsley
salt for final seasoning, up to 6 g, depending on how much the broth has reduced
Steps
Remove tough membranes and large pieces of external fat from the lamb, leaving fine marbling. Pat the trimmed meat dry and cut it into pieces about 3–4 cm across; you need 600 g lamb prepared this way for the recipe. Finely chop the onion. Wash your hands and the equipment used after cutting the raw meat.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed 4–5 l pot. Brown the lamb in two batches for 12–15 minutes in total, turning the pieces until browned on several sides; transfer them to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and translucent. If it sticks to the bottom, add a little water from the measured amount.
Return the meat to the pot with the juices from the plate. Pour in the rest of the measured water and scrape the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon so they dissolve into the broth. Add the salt, thyme leaves and finely chopped rosemary needles, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 90–120 minutes, until the meat is almost tender and a fork enters it without much resistance; skim off any scum that appears. If the meat is still firm, simmer it longer before adding the vegetables. The broth should only tremble gently, without bubbling vigorously.
Toward the end of the meat's cooking time, peel the carrots and rutabaga. Cut the carrots into rounds about 2 cm thick and the rutabaga into cubes about 2.5 cm across. Add them to the pot once the lamb is almost tender and simmer gently with the lid slightly ajar for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes and leek in the next step.
Peel and rinse the potatoes, then cut them into cubes about 2.5 cm across. Rinse the leek thoroughly to remove any grit; cut the white part into rounds about 1 cm thick, finely chop the pale green part and set it aside. Add the potatoes and white leek to the pot and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes and rutabaga are tender but remain in pieces. Stir gently so you do not crush the vegetables.
AI-generated Add the reserved pale green leek and cook for about 5 more minutes, until softened. Wash, dry and chop the parsley. Take the pot off the heat, add the pepper and parsley and stir gently. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. The lamb should come apart easily with a spoon and the vegetables should be tender; divide the meat, vegetables and broth among six deep bowls and serve hot.
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