Turkish Lentil-and-Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black
• 4  peppercorns black
• 2 cups carrots thinly sliced
• 2 cups celery thinly sliced
• 0.1 teaspoon pepper red crushed
• 2 cups lentils dried
• 1 cup cooking wine dry red
• 8 teaspoons mint leaves fresh chopped
• 1.5 pounds lamb shank 
• 1 cup leek chopped
• 3 cups onion chopped
• 4  parsley sprigs fresh
• 8 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon teaspoon thyme dried fresh
• 4  thyme sprigs fresh
• 8 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• dutch oven
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Place first 4 ingredients on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.
2. Trim fat from lamb shank.
3. Place cheesecloth bag, lamb, and next 11 ingredients (lamb through crushed red pepper) in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Discard cheesecloth bag.
4. Remove lamb shank from soup.
5. Remove lamb from bone, and discard bone.
6. Cut meat into bite-size pieces, and stir meat into soup. Spoon into shallow bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon mint and 1 teaspoon vinegar.