Lamb Shank & Fennel Heart Soup

This is one of our favorite recipes to prepare when it is dark, cold & raining outside. This soup is as flavorful as it is colorful. It contains such blood-nourishing foods as dark leafy greens & qi-nourishing foods as carrots, turnips, potatoes, & shiitake mushrooms (read more about Chinese medicine & its uses of food in this post). It is time-consuming to prepare, however, one doesn't have to be present for most of the cooking.

Ingredients:
3-4 Tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil
3 lamb shanks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
3-4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 large fennel heart, cubed
1 medium turnip, cubed
2-3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
4-5 medium shiitake mushrooms, sliced
15 oz. of tomato-based sauce of your choice (tomato basil marinara, spaghetti, roasted garlic or the like)
6-7 cups of greens (mustard, turnip, spinach, bok choi, collards, beet & the like), torn in bite-size pieces (I really like Trader Joe's Southern Greens Blend)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Part 1:
Brown the lamb shanks in oil in a 5.5-quart soup pot. Add enough filtered water to leave room for vegetables later on. Bring water to a boiling point, then turn the heat to low. Simmer the lamb shanks for 5-6 hours until meat is tender & falls off the bones. Cool the broth to room temperature, then put the pot in the refrigerator. When the broth is cold enough for the lamb fat to float on top, collect the fat & throw it away.

Part 2:
Move the broth from the refrigerator to the stove. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the greens. Bring the pot to a boiling point, then turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the greens last & cook them for about 3 minutes taking care not to overcook.
Serve with rustic bread & butter (or butter substitute).

P. S. This recipe is also wonderful when prepared with ox tails or beef instead of the lamb shanks. Many stores do not carry ox tails, so be prepared to order them in advance. You will probably have more buying success at stores like PCC Natural Markets & Whole Foods, or your local independent butcher.