White Bean and Lamb Soup
Wonderful lamb soup for a chilly Sunday dinner. It is a complete meal in one bowl. The soup is topped with wilted baby spinach and feta cheese!
dried great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed
½
pound
olive oil
3
tablespoons
onion, chopped
1
garlic, chopped
3
cloves
ground lamb
1 ¼
pounds
carrots, peeled and diced
3
celery, diced
3
stalks
canned roma tomatoes, with liquid
1 ½
cups
chopped fresh parsley
¼
cup
dried thyme
1
teaspoon
dried oregano
½
teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper to taste 
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salt to taste
chicken broth
6
cups
baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried well
½
pound
feta cheese, crumbled
4
ounces
 Soak dried beans in water, 8 hours to overnight. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
  Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium. Add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery; cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, then season with parsley, thyme, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add beans and broth. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté spinach in the hot saucepan until wilted. This will only take a short time, and you will not need to add more liquid to the pan.
  Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with wilted spinach and feta cheese.
