Barley and Lamb Soup

My very own immune boosting soup. This soup I choose to do from simple run of the mil ingredients to show how you can create a delicious healthy meal that will help boost immunity and nourish you. 

We seem to have lost the knowledge about making bone broths. Bone broths are on of the most nutrient dense and healing super foods out there.  Remember your mum making you chicken soup and how good you felt afterwards. That wasn't just placebo, that was because the bones were cooked for hours and realeasing all the beautiful nutrients. Bone broths help with digestion, mineral absorption and overall gut health. It also contains proteins that help promote collagen regeneration, this helps with skins, hair and nails health. The longer you cook the bones the better; that way you get all the benefits. I always have some bones in the freezer to add to soups and stocks. This creates a gelatine that is nourishing for your digestive tract.

The apple cider vinegar and salt help extract the minerals from the bone. If you dont have either add some lemon juice but salt is really best for this one. It also gives a beautiful flavour. 

Ingredients

2 lamb shanks

1 cup of soaked barley 

1 large carrot or 2 small ones

2 potato

1 white onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp of salt
Cracked pepper to taste

1 tsp of apple cider vinager

1 liter of water or homemade vegetable stock

Method

1. Soak barley overnight in a flat bowl, see how here.

2. Chop all the vegetables into pieces.
3. Get a large pot with a lid and add all the garlic and onions, simmer for a few seconds and then add the rest of the ingredients except the barley.
4. Simmer for 4 to 6 hours on a medium heat adding in the barley about 3 hours in. Add salt and pepper if needed.
5. This is great to make at the beginning and keep in the fridge for dinner for a couple of nights.