Lamb and Herb Couscous Soup

by Victoria Shearer 

When you think “leg of lamb,” you probably think Easter. And while this is a wonderful soup in which to use leftover lamb, I love to make it in my slow cooker in the fall because it is so warm and filling. Served on a cool crisp day, the soup is hearty enough to serve for a light supper.

Pearl couscous are small, round, white, pasta-like granules made from semolina and wheat flour. Unlike the small, yellow North African couscous, pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous) are toasted rather than dried, have a chewy bite, and can hold their own in a brothy soup. Pearl couscous is essential in this recipe. You can find it in the rice and grains aisle of your supermarket.

I used mildly hot Hungarian paprika in this recipe. (You can buy paprika ranging from sweet to hot.) You can order the spicy paprika at www.penzeys.com or substitute regular supermarket paprika if you don’t want the peppery kick.

4 pieces bacon, thinly sliced

1 pound lamb, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups chopped sweet onions, like Vidalia

tablespoons flour

4 cups beef broth

3 cups College Inn White Wine and Herb Culinary Broth

1 cup chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon coarse pepper

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1 cup pearl couscous

1/2 cup sweet orange marmalade

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper toweling. Add lamb to skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove lamb from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper toweling. Transfer bacon and lamb to a 5- to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker.

Add onions to skillet and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour. Slowly stir in beef broth, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer onions and broth to slow cooker.

Add culinary broth, roasted peppers, tomato paste, paprika, fennel, pepper, salt, and cilantro to slow cooker. Stir to combine ingredients. Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours, until lamb is tender. Add couscous and marmalade and stir ingredients. Re-cover slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve immediately. (If you refrigerate or freeze soup, add a little water to the soup before reheating as the couscous will absorb much of the broth.)

Makes: 10 cups

Victoria Shearer is the author of Leftover Makeovers: Great New Meals from Last Night's Dinner, Slow Cooker Classics from Around the World: Fresh Ideas for Slow Cooking, Quick, Cheap Comfort Food: 100+ Fresh Recipes for Meals in a Hurry, and other cookbooks that contain recipes your kids will love to cook with you... and eat!