Asparagus Lamb Stew a Healthy and Simple Recipe

Asparagus Lamb Stew يخني هليون This heartwarming asparagus stew is perfect for cooler weather. I may not be a big fan of soup but I love stews. Stews are not exactly a soup but rather a soupier dish but less liquidy than a soup.

Asparagus which means halayon in Arabic, may not be a common dish in Palestine where it often grows in the wilds. However, it is a popular vegetable in the US and available throughout the year.

I love this simple stew recipe which I often make, Faris loves it too. Like many other kids, he loves all kinds of stews. This dish can be made with chicken, beef, or lamb, or even without any meat. It is a very easy, healthy, and delicious recipe.

The Palestinian cuisine is full of numerous stews. Stews consist of different kinds of vegetables mixed with meat and meat broth. The Arabic word for a stew is yakhni. I have a few stews recipes that you can check out, pea stew, spinach stew, tomatoes stew, and cauliflower stew.

All yakhnis are often served with plain or vermicelli rice, ruz bil sh'iryeh

How to make asparagus stew

With any stew, usually, the meat is cooked separately with water first, then the vegetables are added later. And in this case, I'm using chunks of lamb. For tender meat results, lamb usually takes longer to cook. To save time I like to use the pressure cooker. If you don't have one, you can use a regular pot, make sure it's fully covered with water, and let it boil until the meat is tender.  It may take longer than an hour.

Before boiling the meat I usually like to sauté it with vegetable oil and some spices for 2 minutes on each side. The spices with sautéing the meat take away any smell that normally comes with raw meat (A pinch of salt nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice all you need). Then I fill up half of the pot with water and seal the lid, turn the heat on high, once the pot starts boiling (you can hear a loud steam noise coming out) set your alarm for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes turn the stove off (if you've never used a pressure cooker, make sure to avoid open it until it cools off, I'd give it 15-20 minutes.).

Meanwhile, in a separate pot sauté onions with oil until they're golden. Add chopped asparagus, sauté for about 5 minutes on high heat, then add the lamb and ¾ - 1 cup of lamb broth (adjust the broth if you prefer it more liquidy) over asparagus, then add cumin and salt, turn the heat on low, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. (you can keep the extra lamb stocking in the freezer for other dishes, or refrigerate for 3 days).

Serve with a side of rice. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of the asparagus stew.

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