A Simple Lamb and Barley Soup

 1½ # lamb plus a lamb shank

3-4 carrots

2 ribs of celery

6-8 cloves of garlic

1-1½c chopped onion

1t-1T Rosemary Seasoning *

1-2T Better Than Bouillon beef flavor

⅔-1c barley

I tried a different technique this time.  Instead of browning all the lamb first, I took off all the fat, cut it in cubes and simmered it at a low-medium boil, with the whole shank in 4 quarts of water, for about an hour.  After removing the meat, I strained the broth several times then chilled it overnight.  This morning, I skimmed off as much of the fat as I could, and strained it again to get the sediment out.  You want the broth as clear as possible.

Combine the chopped vegetables, cubed lamb and butter,  Saute' for 10-15 minutes, until your kitchen smells wonderful! 😊 Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the barley is done.  I bought quick cooking (20 minute) barley by mistake, but it turned out well.  The vegetables and barley were just right at the same time.  Today it's going to be hot here, with high humidity, but for me - it's always Soup Season! . . . Lin