Lamb Head Soup with Vegetables and Pesto

Grass fed lamb or goat head vegetable soup

5 from 1 vote

Lamb Head Soup with Vegetables and Pesto

With their large amount of bone to meat ratio, lamb, goat, and sheep heads are often used for soup around the world. The broth is delicious.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time5 15

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Goat, Lamb, Sheep head, Soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 450kcal

Cost: 10

Equipment

Food processor (for pesto-optional)
1 large soup pot

Ingredients

1 lamb head or goat head
5 qts water
3 lbs assorted vegetables cut into ½ inch dice, or equal sized pieces, green vegetables reserved separately *see note
2 cups cooked brown rice or another grain, like wheatberries, farro, or wild rice
2 cups cooked white beans or another legume of your choice, like lentils

Pesto (Optional)

2 packed cups of fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or walnuts toasted and cooled
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup 50/50 extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

Instructions

Pesto (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the oil in the bowl of a food processor. Drizzle in the oil until the mixture is a coarse puree, then refrigerate.

Soup

Roast the lamb head in a 375 F oven for 1 hour, then drain off the fat and put into a stock pot with the water, cover and simmer at the lowest heat for 5 hours. Alternately, cook in a crock pot, but you may have to adjust the amount of stock afterwords with more water.
Cool the head, then pick the meat from the head and reserve. If your head had a tongue, peel and put with the remaining pieces of meat. Cut the meat into even-sized pieces and reserve. Strain the stock for bone particles and reserve.
Cut the vegetables into small pieces that will fit onto a spoon. Pay attention to the vegetables you use so that they don’t overcook and turn to mush, firm vegetables, like carrots and roots, can be added first, green vegetables that will turn brown from too much cooking should be added towards the end of cooking, to cook until just tender.
Bring the vegetables and broth to a simmer, season the mixture to taste with salt, and cook until the vegetables are tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, return the lamb meat to the pot just to heat through. Garnish each bowl of soup with a spoon of pesto. The soup will improve in quality the day after it’s made.

Notes

Meat Substitutions

A neck and a tongue can be substituted for the head.

Vegetables

I like to use a mix of carrot, onion, celery, cauliflower, potato and leafy greens like kale that I add at the end. You can mix and match your favorite vegetables.

Nutrition