Cock-a-leekie soup is always a hit around here; it’s a Scottish classic. My husband (who is of Chinese descent) loves it because it reminds him of a Chinese chicken soup his grandma used to make. I love it because it’s simple to make, with simple ingredients. An easy one-pot dinner!
My family’s super-Scottish, so we’ve always done Burns Night Supper every January 25th. I’m not too partial to haggis, so I usually do a non-haggis Scottish dinner on Burns Night.
Yes, I did put prunes in the soup; it adds a nice flavor and sweetness to the broth.
Barley is traditional, but rice or another grain (like farro) will work fine if you haven’t got barley on hand.
Cock-A-Leekie Soup: A Scottish Classic
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 2 leeks (thinly sliced)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup uncooked barley
- 6 prunes
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stockpot
- Cook the chicken over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side. You'll want the chicken to develop a nice brown sear on the outside, but it won't be cooked all the way through.
- Add the chopped carrots, celery and leeks to the pot. Turn the heat down to "medium" and put the lid on. Let the veggies sit and steam for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, barley, prunes and bay leaf to the pot. Turn the heat up to "high" and bring the soup to a boil.
- Once the soup begins to boil, turn the heat down to "low" and allow the soup to simmer, lid on, for about 30 minutes.
- Soup is done when the chicken is cooked all the way through and the barley is tender.
- Remove the fully-cooked chicken from the pot and transfer it to a plate.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks, and stir the shredded chicken back into the soup.
