hearty lamb and vegetable soup

serves 8

Ingredients

600g dried chickpeas
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 kilogram diced lamb 
300g brown onion, finely chopped  
500g carrots, finely chopped finely
600g stalks celery, trimmed, thinly sliced 
4 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 litre chicken stock
2 litre water 
500g stalks silver beet trimmed, chopped finely
120ml lemon juice

Dietary substitutions

• Lamb ... Hard tofu, red kidney beans, brown lentils, OR a mix of dried pea and barley soup mixes (soaked in warm water for a few hours then drained)

Method

1. Place chickpeas in a medium bowl, cover with water, stand overnight; drain. 
2. Rinse under cold water; drain.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook lamb, in batches, until browned. Remove from pan.
4. Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and cumin in same pan, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. 
5. Return lamb to pan with stock and the water; bring to the boil. 
6. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 2 hours.
7. Add silver beet and juice to soup; simmer, uncovered, until silver beet just wilts. 
8. Divide soup into serving bowls; and serve with a warmed loaf of bread.