Rachel Allen’s lamb broth with haricot beans is a rustic, satisfying recipe that makes smart use of leftover cooked lamb while leaning on everyday ingredients like onion, celery, carrots and stock. The dish is finished with pesto and served warm, making it a straightforward supper that feels both nourishing and distinctly Irish.
This dish showcases two lovely ingredients: Irish lamb and dark, leafy kale.
Rachel Allen’s lamb broth with haricot beans recipe
Serves: 4 (as a main course)
Ingredients:
- (4¼oz) dried haricot beans, soaked in cold water, to cover, overnight, or 1 x 400g tin of haricot beans, strained (retain the liquid)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped into (½in) dice
- (9 oz) carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm (½in) dice
- 175g (6 oz) leftover cooked lamb, sliced into 0.5 x 2cm (¼ x ¾ in) pieces
- (19fl oz) lamb or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp pesto, such as kale and hazelnut
- Parsley or basil pesto
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Method:
Drain the soaked beans and place them in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil, then boil for 45–60 minutes, until tender. Strain the beans and save (7 fl oz) of the cooking liquid.
Place a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Tip in the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until soft.
Add the celery and carrots, and cook for 7–10 minutes, until just tender. Add the lamb, beans, stock, and bean cooking liquid (or 7 fl oz of liquid from the tinned beans), bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until all the flavors have mingled. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in warm bowls, with a drizzle of pesto on top.
* This article was originally published on IrishCentral and in the Irish Voice newspaper in 2016 and updated in March 2026.
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