Scotch Broth
Stock: Non-vegetarian
Traditionally this hearty soup used a meat stock. Often the meat was mutton. Only the brave use mutton now as it smells up the house! My Scottish Mother used marrow bones with as much meat on them as she could convince the butcher to leave. My sister uses stewing beef cubed which makes this soup into a meal.
If using marrow bones, bake them in an oven until any meat is browned, then add them to the soup pot.
If using meat, cut it into bite sized cubes, braise until sealed, and add to the soup pot.
Stock: Vegetarian
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 leeks, white end, sliced
1 stalk celery sliced thin
Olive oil
(garlic - not traditional but tasty!)
Sautee the vegetables in olive oil until soft, slightly caramelised, not burnt.
Preparation
In a large soup pot add 2 quarts stock including sauteed vegetables if vegetarian, or meat and marrow bones if non-vegetarian.
Bring the stock to a boil if it has meat or bones and simmer at least 1 hr. or until the meat is tender.
Rinse and add 1 pack of Scotch Broth Mix (barley, lentils, split peas, dried peas)
Bring to a boil, slowly - the barley mix can foam and overflow.
Simmer 1 hour
Vegetables
Traditionally this soup had the vegetables that could be grown in the cold climate of Scotland: leeks, cabbage, kale, turnip, carrots, potato. However the soup was often made to last a few days. If you boil cabbage or kale for long you will have a smell in your house that will permeate your wallpaper! Similarly turnip becomes smelly if overcooked. Small whiter turnips are called "swedes" in Scotland, and they smell less than "neeps" (turnips) on day two or three.
You can add the vegetables to the dry Scotch Broth mix and simmer as above, or add the vegetables later if you want to avoid overcooking.
Add
2 potatoes diced
2 carrots diced
1 onion chopped: it does not have to be fine: it is going to be boiled a long time.
1stalk celery sliced fine
2 leek white ends sliced
Simmer 30 mins. Add water as needed if the soup over-thickens and threatens to burn.
The following should be omitted if the soup is not to be consumed immediately (see above).
1 cup diced turnip or swede
2 cups chopped kale or cabbage
Season with salt and pepper ( make it quite peppery)
Bring to a boil and simmer 30 min.
Add the green ends of the leeks, sliced thin.
Add 1 cup grated carrot.
Simmer 10 min
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley - lots if it is available.
Serve.