Traditional Scotch Broth
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The quintessential Scottish dish for centuries, Scotch Broth soup is rich, robust, flavorful, and represents everything that is so good about rustic home cooking. Packed with vibrant vegetables, tender barley, split peas, and fork-tender lamb, this hearty and delicious Scotch Broth recipe will nourish both body and soul!
What is Scotch Broth?
Scotch broth is a traditional Scottish soup featuring lamb, barley, split peas, and vegetables. The first time I had this soup was in a small pub outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It was the perfect meal for a cool afternoon and left me feeling happily nourished and rejuvenated, ready for more sightseeing adventures. Once we got home I got work replicating that wonderful dish and it has remained a family favorite ever since.
In her 1856 cookbook, Cook and Housewife’s Manual, Margaret Dods referred to Scotch Broth as the “Pot au Feu of Scotland.” Pot au Feu has also been referred to as “the quintessence of French family cuisine [and] the most celebrated dish in France” so in like manner is reflective of the important place that Scotch Broth has taken at the Scottish family table for centuries. Scotch Broth has been referenced in literature dating back to the 1600’s and it’s popularity has crossed many borders, including the U.S. where the recipe appeared in an 1881 American publication “The Household Cyclopedia.”
The popularity of Scotch Broth has become so widespread that it’s sold in cans in grocery stores and even some of the biggest brands have picked it up. I’ll admit I’ve never had the canned version but what I can tell you is that once you’ve made and tried the real deal you’ll understand why Scotch Broth has been so central to Scottish cuisine.
Scoth Broth Ingredients
The term “broth” is a little misleading because more so than a thin liquid that is sipped out of a mug or slurped from a spoon, it is a rich, hearty, thick and satisfying soup – really more of a stew – that has traditionally been eaten as the main meal. It’s loaded with vegetables, some fork-tender meat and generously thickened with barley, split peas and/or regular or red lentils.
Traditionally Scotch Broth would be made from whatever vegetables were in season but these would typically include rutabagas, carrots, turnips, cabbage, and leek. Mutton or lamb is very traditional and imparts an especially rich flavor, but beef may also be used. And if you have some bones to add to the pot, all the better.
Rich, robust and flavorful, Scotch Broth represents everything that is good about rustic home cooking. Traditional Scottish housewives, ever thrifty and knowing how to make much of little, knew how to gather up whatever fresh vegetables were available, add them together with lamb, mutton or beef, some barley, split peas and lentils (all staple Scottish ingredients), and simmer the mixture low and slow for hours to achieve a meal that by dinnertime would nourish both body and soul.
And so I present Scotch Broth, “the Pot au Feu of Scotland!”
Scotch Broth Recipe
Let’s get started!
For a wonderfully flavor-packed Scotch Broth, we’re going to use leek, carrots, onions, rutabagas, turnips and parsnips. Get those cleaned and diced.
Cook the onions and garlic in the oil in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven until softened 4-6 minutes.
Cook the onions and garlic in the lard or butter until softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the lamb, herbs, barley, split peas and salt. I tie my herbs with a bit of twine for easy removal later. That’s entirely optional.
Add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any foam.
Add the carrot, turnip, rutabaga and parsnip. Simmer for another hour.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Remove the meat, shred it and discard the bones.
Return the shredded meat to the pot along with the leek and cabbage. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.
We like this soup on the thick side, almost a stew. If you prefer the soup a bit thinner, add some more broth.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
For more Scottish recipes be sure to try my:
- Dundee Cake
- Scottish Shortbread
- Millionaire Shortbread
- Scotch Eggs
- Cullen Skink
- Fish and Chips
- Bangers and Mash
- Scottish Barley Pudding
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Traditional Scotch Broth
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder or shanks (or beef with bones)
- 2 tablespoons quality lard or butter
- how to make lard (it's super easy, click link for my tutorial!)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1/3 cup dried green split peas
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups quality chicken broth
- homemade chicken broth (click link for recipe)
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 turnip, peeled and diced
- 1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
- 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1 medium leek, chopped, rinsed and drained
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the onions and garlic in the lard or butter until softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the lamb, herbs, barley, split peas, salt and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any foam. Add the carrot, turnip, rutabaga and parsnip. Simmer for another hour.
- Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Remove the meat, shred it and discard the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot along with the leek and cabbage. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. I like this soup on the thick side, almost a stew. If you prefer the soup a bit thinner, add some more broth.Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 18, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Absolutely love the recipe. Was distraught to read your method of measuring the ingredients. How does one measure 0.33 Tbsp. of butter or 0.33 Bay leaves? The whole thing is really absurd and it has caused me not to even attempt it. Would have been better to have someone translate it to tbsp. tsp. cups, ozs. & lbs.
Are you by chance disabled? Get a grip
Ron, you disappoint me. Not everyone knows how to deal with recipes, as this comment shows. Don’t be insulting, just show how it works. ( if you think being disabled is an insult, you really need to relearn some stuff)
For example, Anon, if I wanted to measure out one third tablespoon of butter, I’d get out my 1/2 tablespoon measure and short it just a bit; say, scrape off just a bit lower that the top of the measure. And if a recipe calls for a third of a bay leaf, I’d do one of two things. Either I’d break a bay leaf into somewhat thirds, or I’d just add a whole bay leaf, and see if it tasted good. The only way you can cut a bay leaf into exact
thirds, is by exacto knife, and that sounds like too much trouble to me.
I quadruple the receipe and have had this soup without the barley. I added a cup of chick peas and a cup of black beans and have had soup for a few days to help
Me with my diet. I added Mexican chilli to give it a oomph.
Crystal, when you do not know the equivalent measure for something refer to one of your cookbooks (most have a chart) or google it. FYI 1 tablespoon = 3 tsp
Joyce
Made this exactly as stated but decided I don’t like lamb although my other half being Scottish loved it. Can I use exactly the same method using a ham hock.
Hi Sarah, yes, lamb definitely has a distinct flavor. I’m happy to hear your other half loved it :) Yes, you can ham hock. Or beef.
Hi , I use Short Ribs in place of lamb. Works well.
This looks great. I appreciate the authenticity of your recipes and that they are all made from “scratch” with good quality ingredients. I would like to modify this to be gluten free, so obviously will have to omit the barley. Is there a substitution you can suggest?
Thank you, Ioana :) There are quite a few gluten-free grains you could choose from (buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, rice, etc) but one that is traditionally very Scottish and would work well in this soup is steel-cut oats. They have a long cooking time, which is perfect, and thicken up nicely. Their flavor will also complement the soup well.
Because I didn’t have a turnip, I doubled the celery; also like mine really thick, so doubled the barley. Seasoned with a little garlic, salt, pepper, Thai basil, and lemon sage, the latter two dried, harvested from my garden and ground up with my little volcanic rock molcajete and tejolote. The family dog has hung out by the kitchen door all day; he lives in hope.
Fantastic, NoniB! Happy eating and if you end up feeling charitable, I hope your dog enjoys it too! :)
No onions for dogs
I fell in love with Scotch Broth as a kid making my own lunch of Campbell’s soup ! I don’t know what made me want to make it, but I’m glad I did. Still a favorite.
Your recipe looks fine, but I totally disagree on the label “pot au feu”. Pot au feu is neither a soup nor a stew. Chunks of meat are cooked with chunks of root vegetables and – when done – served with condiments separately from the broth, which might well be reserved for soup the next day.
Hi Nat, no one has implied the two dishes share the same method. Here’s what I said at the beginning of my blog post:
“In her 1856 cookbook, Cook and Housewife’s Manual, Margaret Dods referred to Scotch Broth as the ‘Pot au Feu of Scotland.’ Pot au Feu has been referred to as ‘the quintessence of French family cuisine [and] the most celebrated dish in France’ so in like manner is reflective of the important place that Scotch Broth has taken at the Scottish family table for centuries.”
A proper Scotch broth is like a pot au feu as Meg Dods said. In my family and my husband’s, the soup – not as thick as this – is served as the first course, then the meat which has cooked with it and the larger pieces of vegetables are served as the second.
The Scots would never use both chicken stock and the lamb or beef; when I was a child, you wouldn’t have both because chickens were a once-a-week treat and the carcass was used to make a stock for cock-a-leekie. Never come across turnip – presumably the white one – in a Scotch broth. I say presumably because what in Scotland is called a turnip (or neep) is called a rutabaga in USA.
When I moved to America I was taken aback to find that what is here called “broth” is what we in UK call stock.
This was WONDERFUL! The flavor is so rich and delicious. Everyone loved it, this will definitely become part of our regular rotation.
Fantastic, Carmen, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Thank you so much for your help. I can’t wait try the soup.
Buy boiling beef. It’s on the bone and delicious. In Scotland you can buy it in any butcher‘s (it’s the traditional stock base for Scotch Broth). Also if using boiling beef you’re starting from scratch so no need to use pre-made stock! Delicious! If you’re putting it in a thermos flask for lunches and don’t want chunky vegetables zip it through your blender (removing the boiling beef first). I made a big pot last night… yum!
My husband doesn’t like lamb so what kind of beef with bone should I use. Thank you for your help.
Hi Francine, with a stew like this that simmers for a long time you’ll want to use an inexpensive tougher cut, so any stewing stewing beef (for example chuck roast). You may have a hard time finding stewing cuts with bones. Alternatively you can just get a few beef marrow bones from your local butcher. They’re usually relatively inexpensive (you don’t need much) and add a lot of flavor.
I make this soup after I’ve made a roast especially a leg of lamb. I save all the pan scrapings, bones and fat and simmer for about an hour with just an onion and the tops and bottoms if the celery stalks and cover with water. After that hour I strain it all and then basically pick up where your recipe starts. When the meat and bones have cooled enough to handle I cut the meat up so I can add it back after the veggies etc. are done. I love the fact that I can use the yummy pan scrapings and I can separate the fat before putting the broth back in. It’s a family favorite.
Thanks for sharing, Mommajo!
Love this soup – but I make it in about 45 minutes in the Power Pressure Cooker XL. I follow all of the steps – just shorten the time in the pressure cooker. Yum!!!! And I have 5 -6 bags of soup to freeze and reheat for a few more dinners and of course serve with crusty French bread
That’s awesome, Kathi, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Thank you! That’s important info; Now I won’t worry about it – just let it bubble away.
I make soup several times a week. This one is going to happen today. The recipe looks delicious, rich and hearty. Campbell’s has been making Scotch Broth for decades, by the way.
I’ve had barley go very mushy if it’s added too early in a recipe process. Is that a concern with this recipe?
Hi Beth! Yes, the barley will get mushy but in the case of Scotch broth that’s exactly what you want to happen. It’s used as a natural thickener here.
I would love to make this in a slow cooker.
You can definitely do that, Klaus. I’d cook it on LOW for 8-10 hours and add the greens in during the last hour.
I’ve been making this soup for years. It freezes well. If you want it thicker or thinner just adjust your barley and lentil quantities. The version my husband brought over from Endland uses red lentils and Savoy cabbage (when we can get it). It’s always part of our winter soup rotation…it’s delicious!