Beefy Russian Cabbage Soup

Serves: to serve 6

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ready In: 4 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients

2 - beef shanks (shin or leg)

  - salt and pepper

2 cloves - garlic

2 stalks - celery

2 - onions

4 small - turnips

5 - carrots

7 oz - dry lentils

2 - bay leaves

1 can - chopped (crushed) tomatoes in tomato juice (14oz - 400g)

3 tablespoons - tomato purée (tomato paste)

1 teaspoon - paprika

2 teaspoons - fresh thyme leaves

4¾ pints - water

½ head - cabbage

6 medium - potatoes

6 tablespoons - sour cream

Directions

1. Peel and crush (mince) one clove of garlic. Season the beef shanks with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the crushed garlic paste. Roast for 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC). Remove the shanks from oven, allow to cool a little, then remove the meat and roughly chop it, reserving the bones.
2. Peel and crush (mince) the other clove of garlic, chop the celery stalks, peel and chop the onions and turnips, and peel and cut the carrots into slices about ½" (1cm) thick. Place all these, plus the meat, bones, lentils, bay leaves, tomato purée (tomato paste), chopped (crushed) tomatoes, paprika, thyme and water into a large Dutch oven or casserole dish.
3. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste then bring to the boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3 hours, stirring from time-to-time. Shred the cabbage, stir it into the pot and cook for a further 30 minutes. Peel and quarter the potatoes, add them to the pot, cover, and cook for a final 20-30 minutes still stirring occasionally.
4. Your Beefy Russian Cabbage Soup is now ready, so remove the bay leaves and the bones and serve in large bowls with a tablespoon of sour cream on top and a chunk of crusty bread alongside.