Scotch Broth Soup

They are predicting 8 to 12 inches of snow for Saturday night! Needless to say - we aren't exactly prepared for winter. That much snow in October? Crazy!

Saturday we are off to the Amherst Farmers Market. It is supposed to be a high of 40 and we'll be standing there shivering. I'll be dreaming of warm and cozy soup - one of my favorite winter lunch and dinner foods. Continuing on with the Scottish and British theme of the past few weeks, here's a new soup recipe for you to try. If you can't find lamb, you can use beef - but it won't be the same.

When I was a kid, I ate a lot of canned Campbell's soup. It was something I could make myself for lunch - heck all I had to do was use a can opener, pour it in a pan and light the stove. I loved soup, still do. When I moved out on my own, I learned to cook my own soup from scratch. My freezer is full of leftover chicken carcasses and lamb bones that I pull out and make stock with. One of my very favorite soups was Campbell's Scotch Broth Soup (immortalized by Andy Warhol and print available here). (Sadly, I hear Campbell's Scotch Broth Soup is no longer available in the States but it is still for sale in Canada.) 

When we started with sheep way back when, I knew I had to find out how to make my own Scotch Broth from scratch. And so I did. I make this soup several times in the fall and winter. Boy is it yummy and comforting. Of course you could substitute beef but take it from me, it will not be the same.

Scotch Broth Soup

A fall and winter favorite here at our farm, Scotch Broth Soup is total comfort food. The smooth taste of the lamb stock mixed with winter root veggies can’t be beat. I use our shoulder chops for the meat and add a few extra bones if I have them to make a richer stock. Resist the temptation to increase the barley - you don’t need a lot and it will swell by the second day. In fact, when re-heating, you may find it necessary to add a little water. This soup also freezes well.

1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 pound lamb stew meat or shoulder chops (the bones add extra flavor)

2 leeks – white part only sliced thin

1 onion

2 sticks celery

2 large potatoes or 4 small

2 small turnips or parsnips (or both!)

3 – 4 large carrots

1/ 2 cup pearl barley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the stew meat in a large soup pot. Dice the onion and add it to the meat in pan. Cut the leek into thin slices. Add to the meat and onions. Chop the celery and add to the browning meat mixture.

While meat mixture is browning, peel the turnips, carrots, and potatoes. Chop turnips, carrots and potatoes into pieces all the same size so they will cook at an equal rate.

Once the meat is thoroughly browned, cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower immediately to a simmer.  After five minutes, add the barley, root veggies, herbs and salt and pepper. Cover and cook until barley is tender - about 45 minutes. Remove bones from shoulder chops if necessary. (They may have fallen out so look in the pot - or warn your guests.) 

Serve immediately. This soup, as with most, will taste better the second day. It will be necessary to add some water when re-heating as the barley will swell. This soup freezes nicely too.

 

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