Middle Eastern Lamb Stew
This brothy stew is boldly flavored with a blend of characteristic Middle Eastern spices and finished with fresh spinach and fiber-rich chickpeas. Economical lamb shoulder tenderizes beautifully when leisurely cooked in a slow cooker. If you can't find boneless shoulder stew meat, do not substitute more-expensive lamb leg--it tends to dry out during slow cooking. Instead, purchase lamb shoulder chops and debone them. Serve over bulgur and accompany with a salad.
Ingredients
-
1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, (shoulder cut) or 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder chops, deboned, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
-
1 tablespoon olive oil, or neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
-
4 teaspoons ground cumin
-
1 tablespoon ground coriander
-
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
-
¼ teaspoon salt
-
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
-
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
-
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
-
¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
-
4 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 15- or 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
-
6 ounces baby spinach
Description
-
Place lamb in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Mix oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the lamb with the spice paste and toss to coat well. Top with onion.
-
Bring tomatoes, broth and garlic to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over the lamb and onion. Cover and cook until the lamb is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high or 5 1/2 to 6 hours on low.
-
Skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Mash 1/2 cup chickpeas with a fork in a small bowl. Stir the mashed and whole chickpeas into the stew, along with spinach. Cover and cook on high until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Related Recipes
Fennel & Pork Stew
This meltingly tender pork shoulder ragout has a savory broth that's full of fennel. White wine give...
Super Green Pasta
Pack in your veggies with this quick and easy green pasta. Plenty of kale and spinach transform into...
Lamb & Beef Balti
Balti, a stew created by Pakistani chefs in Birmingham, England, is named after the metal pot it's c...