This brothy stew is boldly flavored with a blend of characteristic Middle Eastern spices and finished with fresh spinach and fiber-rich chickpeas. Economical lamb shoulder tenderizes beautifully when leisurely cooked in a slow cooker. If you can’t find boneless shoulder stew meat, do not substitute more-expensive lamb leg—it tends to dry out during slow cooking. Instead, purchase lamb shoulder chops and debone them. Serve over bulgur and accompany with a salad.

Makes 8 servings, about 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4 1/4-6 3/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb stew meat (shoulder cut) or 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder chops, deboned, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15- or 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
6 ounces baby spinach

1. Place lamb in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Mix oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the lamb with the spice paste and toss to coat well. Top with onion.
2. Bring tomatoes, broth and garlic to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over the lamb and onion. Cover and cook until the lamb is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high or 5 1/2 to 6 hours on low.
3. Skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Mash 1/2 cup chickpeas with a fork in a small bowl. Stir the mashed and whole chickpeas into the stew, along with spinach. Cover and cook on high until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 319 calories; 15 g fat (5 g sat, 6 g mono); 92 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 5 g fiber; 494 mg sodium; 238 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Iron (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare the stew, omitting the spinach, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months. Add spinach after the stew is reheated. | Prep ahead: Trim lamb and coat with spice mixture. Chop onions. Combine broth, tomatoes and garlic. Refrigerate in separate covered containers for up to 1 day.

This is a great recipe. Took it to a potluck and everyone raved about it and I had numerous requests for the recipe. It has a nice balance of spices and the "heat" can be altered depending on the intensity of the cayenne used.

Pat Orthwein, Scandinavia, WI

I made this recipe for my family and we all loved its light but savory flavor. It became an instant favorite.

Bertha Young, Attleboro, MA

This was so easy to put together. My husband and I loved it!

Alicia, Kennesaw, GA

This was excellent. I didn't have lamb, but had veal stew meat. I also didn't have the coriander so I used a small amount of curry and tumeric. It was great. I'll definitely make it again.

Kathy, Zelienople, PA

I have made this twice already, once with lamb shoulder and once with well trimmed beef chuck meat. This is amazing. The second time I made it with the beef chuck I added a bit of freshly ground fennel seed and tiny amount of Indonesian cinnamon, which added an amazing fragrance and just a bit of warmth to the stew. I have served this with basmati rice and couscous, both to rave reviews. I also used curly kale instead of spinach, as Husband is not a spinach lover. The kale was lovely. Also, I hate the texture of canned chickpeas (not to mention that finding low-sodium canned chickpeas can be a pain in the neck), so what I did instead is I soaked dried chickpeas overnight in water, then drained and rinsed them well. I put the uncooked chickpeas in with the stew meat to cook in the mixture, and this was fantastic. The chickpeas picked up the lovely flavor of the spices. If you have not tried this yet, do so now! You will not regret it!

Roxanne Rieske, Denver, CO

Yummy!! Made it yesterday and it was so delicious. Couldn't find boneless so had to debone and also had to trim, which was a hassle but will definitely make again.

S Fan, CA