Hearty lamb & barley soup

• olive oil↗ tsp
• lamb↗200g g

  neck fillet, trimmed of fat and cut into small pieces

• large onion

  finely chopped

• pearl barley↗50g g
• mixed root vegetable600g g

  (we used potato, parsnip and swede, cubed)

• Worcestershire sauce↗ tsp
• lamb1 ¾ l

  or beef stock

• thyme↗

  sprig

• green bean↗100g g

  (frozen are fine), finely chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Season the lamb, then fry for a few mins until browned. Add the onion and barley, then gently fry for 1 min. Add the veg, cook for 2 more mins, then add the Worcestershire sauce, stock and thyme. Cover, then simmer for 20 mins.

2. 2

   When everything is cooked, spoon about a quarter of the soup into a separate pan. Purée with a stick blender (or put into a normal blender and whizz), then stir it back into the rest of the soup. Add the green beans, simmer for 3 mins, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve with granary bread.