Welsh cawl (lamb and root vegetable stew)

A Welsh lamb dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h

Organic sourcing

Leeks and potatoes are on the EWG Dirty Dozen; consider sourcing them organic. Lamb typically benefits less from organic sourcing, focusing on quality instead.

Ingredients

• 600 g lamb shoulder, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small turnip, chopped
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
• 1.5 liters water or lamb stock
• to taste sea salt
• to taste black pepper

Method

1. Place the lamb in a large pot and cover with water or lamb stock.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming off any foam.
3. After skimming, add the onion, leeks, carrots, potatoes, and turnip to the pot.
4. Stir in the bouquet garni and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 2 hours until the lamb is tender.
6. Remove the bouquet garni and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.

Notes

• Cawl is often served with crusty bread on the side.
• Cawl tastes better the next day as flavors meld as it sits.
• Use beef if lamb is unavailable; adjust cooking time accordingly.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Welsh recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.