Scotch Broth Recipes: Two Easy Recipes for the Soup

Scotch broth is one of the best-known and most popular Scottish soups. Although the recipe differs from one family to the next and has changed throughout history, it traditionally contained mutton neck, root vegetables, leeks, and pearl barley. However, there are many Scotch broth recipes containing various other ingredients.

Mutton neck is not a common cut of meat that is widely available these days. Therefore, people often use lamb neck end, lamb shoulder, or leftover lamb from a roast dinner to make this soup. Typical examples of vegetables used in the dish are carrots, turnips, potatoes, and swede. Some people also add various pulses to the Scotch broth, such as lentils and split peas.

Many people claim that the soup has a better flavour if it is slow-cooked. Also, those who make this soup often say that it is better the next day when the soup has thickened and the flavours have fully developed. The same applies to many others soups that are traditional in Scotland, such as Cullen Skink and cock-a-leekie soup.

It is possible to make this soup in a soup maker, a pan, or a slow cooker, depending on the recipe and the methods you use. As the flavours and texture improve over time, it is a good option if you are serving multiple people using a catering soup kettle.

At Super Souper Ed, we have decided to include two recipes for this dish so that you can choose the best option for you in terms of the time you have to make the soup and the ingredients you have available. The first is a traditional Scottish soup recipe, while the second is a quicker way to make a delicious Scotch broth.

Here are our two Scotch broth recipes from which you can choose.

Scotch Broth Recipes Option One: The Traditional Scottish Soup

The traditional Scottish version of Scotch broth is delicious, and it is worth putting in the time and effort to make this soup to achieve the best results if you have the time and ingredients available. However, you can use a ready-made stock to make it easier. For this soup, it is best to buy mutton or lamb on the bone and then remove most of the meat before using the bones to make your own stock. If any meat falls off the bone when making the stock, then retain it to add to the soup.

Ingredients for Traditional Scotch Broth Recipes

• 200g finely diced lamb or mutton
• 2.5 litres of lamb stock
• 1 leek finely diced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery finely diced
• 250g shredded spring cabbage
• 1 small swede finely diced
• 100g barley
• 70g split peas
• 2 tbsp. vegetable/ olive oil
• 1 oz butter
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make the Broth

1. Dice all the vegetables and finely dice the meat.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat.
3. Add the meat to the pan cook for five minutes, stirring once, until it is browned on the outside.
4. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside in a bowl or on a plate.
5. Add the chopped vegetables, except the shredded cabbage, to the pan and cook for five minutes until beginning to soften. Stir once halfway through the cooking to make sure all the vegetables are evenly cooked.
6. Add the split peas and barley, then pour over the stock.
7. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for one hour.
8. Add the meat and shredded cabbage to the pan, then simmer for another 15 minutes.
9. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley before stirring through.
10. Cook for another five minutes before serving.

Scotch Broth Recipes Option Two: The Quick Version

The traditional version of Scotch broth is rather time-consuming, but there is a quicker and easier way to make this soup. By using leftover lamb and pan juices from a roast dinner and using only quick-soak ingredients, you can easily make a similar soup that is equally enjoyable.

Ingredients

• Leftover lamb and pan juices
• 2.5 litres of lamb stock
• 1 leek finely diced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery finely diced
• 250g shredded spring cabbage
• 1 small swede finely diced
• 1 packet of broth mix
• 2 tbsp. vegetable/ olive oil
• 1 oz butter
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make a Quick Scotch Broth

1. Dice all the vegetables and shred the leftover meat.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat.
3. Add the chopped vegetables, except the shredded cabbage, to the pan and cook for five minutes until beginning to soften. Stir once halfway through the cooking to make sure all the vegetables are evenly cooked.
4. Add the broth mix and stock to the pan.
5. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add the shredded leftover meat and shredded cabbage to the pan, then simmer for another 15 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley before stirring through.
8. Cook for another five minutes before serving.

Additional Tips for Making Scotch Broth Recipes

• Similar soups: If you enjoy barley soups, you might also like to try our recipes for krupnik and minestra d’orzo.
• Vegetarian version: It is possible to make a vegetarian scotch broth by omitting the meat from the recipe and using vegetable stock. To make it a vegan Scotch broth, replace the butter with extra vegetable or olive oil.
• Dairy-free version: If you replace the butter with extra vegetable or olive oil, this is a dairy-free scotch broth recipe.
• Gluten-free version: The ingredient in these Scotch broth recipes that contain gluten is the pearl barley. By omitting the pearl barley from the recipes, then it becomes a gluten-free Scotch broth recipe.
• Split peas and pearl barley: Check the type of lentils or peas and pearl barley you buy. You can use some straight away, while others need soaking in advance. You can also use lentils as an alternative to the split peas if you prefer.
• Vegetables: If there are vegetables you do not like or you do not have all the ingredients, then you can use some alternatives. Examples include potatoes and turnips.
• Serving: This soup is delicious served with a chunk of bread. Try our recipe for soda bread.
• Storage: You can store the Scotch broth in a sealed container in the refrigerator for three days. It is also possible to freeze this soup for up to a month.