Hearty Lamb & Barley Soup

The title of this post was not my first choice in titles. The dish we will make will have meat balls in it made from ground lamb. I have to admit the first title that came to mind was,

"Lamb Ball Soup".

 After some serious thought to that title I figured I would loose you before I ever got started. Admit it you were not thinking meat balls when you read that, were you?

So many people when I ask if they like lamb, respond by saying they have never tasted lamb or say they do not like it. Well for those people I always come back with,

 "You need to tasted my lamb before passing judgement."

Since I can not cook for everyone the best I can do is give you advice about how to properly purchase, prepare, cook, and serve lamb. Before jumping in with both feet and making you all experts on the art of lamb cooking, a little history lesson is needed. Both on myself and on lamb.

The first time I was ever served lamb was at my Granddad Hampton's. I was not very old but the memory of that meal is still with me to this day. We were up very early in the morning, see Granddad had a farm and dairy in Eastern Oregon. On top of that it was Summer and that meant hay had to be put up.


Food has always been a very important part of our family gatherings. Granddad believed in feeding the work crew well and the work crew was family, friends and neighbors. That is the way it was on traditional family farms.

This is Granddad Hampton
holding one of my brothers. He loved children.

My young feet awoke at the first touch of the cold wooden floors, as the rest of my body was awaken to the smell of corn meal mush served with fresh rich sweet cream and Granddad's home canned peaches. Fried home grown and raised lamb chops sitting along side baby red potatoes grown in his own garden. Boiled eggs that had been gathered from the hen house that very morning was smothered in sweet butter that us younger children had churned the night before at the foot of Granddad's chair while he read Bible stories to us.

OH how I digress......back to the recipe.

The first key to cooking lamb is to remember is you do not eat the fat of lamb. This does not mean you do not cook the lamb with out it's fat. That would dry the meat out. BUT... the exception to this rule is if you are going to combine the lamb meat with other ingredients such as we are going to do today.

So you will need:

Meat Balls
1 pound lean ground lamb (no fat at all!)
2 T. yellow corn meal
1 large egg
4 oz. finely grated Romano cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. Italian seasoning mix

Work together in bowl by hand till well combined. Using a teaspoon size measuring spoon form small round meat balls. Place in glass baking dish, cover and bake in oven at 375 degrees till done, (about 30 min).

Soup base
2 Lg cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked barley
1/2 C sliced carrots 
3 C chopped fresh spinach
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 1 onion powder
1 T Italian seasoning

In large kettle put chicken broth, barley, carrots, and seasoning bring to boil. Turn down to simmer, cook till carrots are tender. Add meat balls and spinach continue to cook till spinach is tender (spinach cooks fast, matter of seconds). This is a hearty soup and a full meal onto its self so I usually only add a side dish of warm bread. This is a great introduction to lamb if you have never tasted it before.But... the meat balls can be made with other kinds of meat as well. I enjoy using ground turkey in this recipe. Enjoy!!