Lamb and white-bean soup

• 1 pound dried great northern beans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 lamb shanks, about 1 pound each
• 10 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley tied in a bundle
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme tied in a bundle or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 whole cloves
• 20 peppercorns
• Salt, if desired
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1. Soak the beans or not according to package recommendations.
2. Heat the butter in a kettle and add the onion, garlic and lamb shanks.
3. Cook, stirring the onion and turning the shanks, about five minutes.
4. Drain the beans and add them to the kettle.
5. Add the water, tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, thyme, cloves, peppercorns and salt to taste.
6. Bring to the boil and let simmer two hours.
7. Remove the shanks, bay leaf, parsley and thyme sprigs.
8. Remove the skin from the shanks.
9. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it or cut it into small bite-size pieces.
10. Return the meat to the soup.
11. Reheat and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

beans, butter, onion, clove garlic, lamb shanks, water, tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, salt, parsley

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1543 (may not work)