This hearty soup uses an economical and flavoursome cut of Quality Standard stewing lamb or boneless neck or lamb shoulder and takes hardly any time to prepare. Make it in advance, reheat in the microwave and eat at your leisure with lots of warm crusty bread.

This recipe serves 4-6 people and takes 10 minutes to prepare and 2 hours to cook.

Cooking equipment you will need:
a large bowl
a non-stick frying pan
a chopping board
a sharp knife
a vegetable or potato peeler
a large saucepan
a measuring jug
a medium-sized plate

Ingredients you will need:
675g Quality Standard middle neck stewing lamb or boneless neck or lamb shoulder
Salt and pepper
2tbsp oil
2 medium onions
100g dried lentils
1 lamb stock cube
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
225g carrots
225g swede or potatoes

To prepare your ingredients:
If using boneless lamb neck or shoulder cut into medium-sized cubes
Finely chop the onions
Rinse the lentils and drain
Make up the lamb stock in a measuring jug with 600ml boiling water
Peel and roughly chop the carrots and swede or potatoes

To cook the recipe:
Place the lamb in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper

Heat the oil in the frying pan and brown the lamb in batches for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the large saucepan

Fry the onions in the same frying pan for 1-2 minutes and add to the saucepan with the lamb

Add the red lentils, stock and herbs to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hours until the meat is tender

Add the vegetables, cover and continue to cook for another hour

If you have used middle neck stewing lamb remove the meat from the soup and transfer to the plate. Remove any bones and return the meat to the soup

Serve with crusty bread