Slow Cooker Lamb & Barley Soup

This hearty soup is an easy to make meal for those days when you have more important things to do. Set the slow cooker and get on with your day, or make ahead and freeze for those days when you don’t have time to cook. It is packed full of warming winter ingredients that are rich sources of protein, iron, fibre, vitamins and minerals!

Ingredients

• 500g lean lamb shoulder, diced 

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 litre low sodium beef stock 

• 1 litre water (more if needed during cooking)

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary

• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

• 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 2 carrots, washed and diced

• 1 cup spinach and kale

• 1 handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 

• crusty bread to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat a fry pan over medium heat and pour in olive oil. Cook lamb in batches, until lighlthy brown on both sides. Transfer lamb to the slow cooker.

2. In the same pan, reduce to a medium-low heat, adding a dash of oil and cook the onions for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. Add the sweet potato and carrot to the slow cooker.

4. Pour in the stock, water and tomatoes, adding the herbs and pearl barley.

5. Set the slow cooker to low for 6 hours.

6. Add the spinach and kale to the slow cooker an hour before serving, mix in well.

7. Remove bay leaf before serving.

8. Serve soup, garnish with chopped parsley and fresh crusty bread (optional)