There are as many variations of Scotch Broth as there are cooks in Scotland and this is my vegetarian recipe. Growing up in Scotland in the 1960s and early 70s, there were two types of soup served at every Scottish table: Lentil Soup and Scotch Broth, both are hearty, filling and inexpensive ways to feed your family.
How this Scot makes Scotch Broth
Traditionally, Scotch Broth is made with neck of mutton. The meat would be cooked with the vegetables, barley, and dried peas. The mutton would then be removed and served with potatoes after the broth was eaten. However, if the soup is to be eaten as a meal, the mutton can be taken off the bone and added back into the soup. Although I have made the traditional version, my usual recipe is a vegetarian Scotch Broth using vegetable stock cubes.
I generally make this soup without a recipe, throwing in whatever vegetables are in my fridge. However today I thought I would take more care, note the quantities and share with you how this Scots woman makes Scotch Broth.
What are the ingredients for Scotch Broth?
Broth Mix
The main ingredient in Scotch Broth is the Scotch Broth mix. You can buy broth mix f in most supermarkets in the UK. The pack I used contained 55% Pearly Barley, 18% Yellow Split peas, 9% Green Split Peas, 9% Blue Peas and 9% Red Split Lentils. Blue peas are the same peas used for Green Split peas, but whole and with the skin left on.
I would recommend soaking the broth mix overnight in lots of cold water although, if you forget, you can boil them in some water for 20 minutes then leave to soak for two hours before starting your soup.
Onion, carrots, and celery
A large onion is essential, as are the carrots, celery is always fabulous in soup but if you don’t have any then you can still make Scotch Broth without it. I’m not a purist, the recipe I’m giving is the one I usually make. If you like you can add other root vegetables if you wish, turnip, swede, parsnip will all work well.
Kale
Kale is a very traditional ingredient for Scotch Broth and should be added at the end of cooking so it retains its bright green colour and all the nutrients. If you don’t have any kale, then spinach or parsley will add that lift of colour and provide a fresh taste. You can serve the soup without the green vegetables but they do add to the flavour.
Carrots
Carrots are a key ingredient in Scotch Broth. They add a sweetness and provide the bulk of the vegetable taste to the soup. You don’t need to peel carrots for soup, just wash them and top and tail, then quarter the carrots lengthways and dice.
How much broth will the recipe make?
As you can see I make a LOT of soup. My pot of soup will serve 8-10 hearty portions. I make it in my pressure cooker but if you don’t have a pressure cooker then you can make it in a large soup or stock pan, If you want to make a smaller quantity you can half the ingredients and use a smaller pan.
How thick is the Scotch Broth?
This recipe makes quite a thick broth. I like my soup quite thick so that ‘your spoon can stand up in it’, as my Dad would say. It is simple to vary the thickness of your broth by adjusting the quantity of broth mix or by using more or less stock.
Vegetable or Meat Stock?
This s a vegetarian recipe for Scotch Broth. I’m not a vegetarian, but I hope you will try the recipe with vegetable stock, as I believe that is all that is needed. Please do make the recipe your own and if you prefer a meat stock then either lamb or beef would work well.
Can you freeze Scotch Broth?
Yes, you can freeze Scotch Broth. I think it is worth making a large quantity, as you can keep some in the fridge or freeze it for another day. Let the soup cool then ladle it into freezer-proof boxes, label it and it will keep in perfect condition for up to 6 months.
As Scotch Broth is quite thick and dense, it is best to defrost it slowly overnight to retain the texture. You can defrost it in a microwave but it will still take a bit of time to fully thaw. Heat thoroughly before serving.
Here are some more delicious soup recipes from my farmhouse kitchen:
Leek and Potato Soup
Carrot and Tomato Soup
Spicy Moroccan Kale and Rice Soup
Spicy Roast Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
Fabulous Soup Recipes from top UK bloggers
Kale Soup – Fab Food 4 All
Instant Pot Chicken Soup – Every Nook and Cranny
French Onion Soup – Christina’s Cucina
Pure Vegetable Soup – Mad About Macarons
Smoky Mexican Bean Soup – Tin & Thyme
How to make Scotch Broth like a Scot
Ingredients
- 200 g broth mix soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
- 500 g carrots diced
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery diced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2.5 litres vegetable stock
- 200 g chopped kale
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan or pressure cooker.
- Add the onions and saute on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
- Add the celery and carrots and saute them with the onion for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Add the broth mix and stock, season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- If using a pressure cooker, cook on low pressure for 25 minutes.
- If cooking without pressure, simmer gently for approximately 40 minutes or until the grains and pulses are soft.
- Add the kale and leave to cook in the residual heat of the soup for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Check seasoning and adjust as required.
Looks very hearty, probably just as good in wet and cold Welsh weather
I live in Scotland and make scotch broth with all your pulses but just use diced carrot and turnip and grated carrot to thicken .No onion No celery No kale! And use boiling beef
Forgot to add ,Use a leek as well
That sounds delicious Eliza, as I said there are as many recipes as there are Scots!
Is this blog still active? I am about to make your recipe of “Scotch Broth.” Already made beef stock, but wondering if the Scotch people add small chopped pieces of beef(or chicken) as in our American canned soup by “Campbell’s” (scotch-broth.)
(Also, a reply is written by ‘Eliza Bradley’…interesting, perhaps a common name in Scotland – my great great grandmother’s name was Eliza(Elizabeth) Bradley, orphan arriving in America, 1845, know everything about her wonderful life in America, but keep trying to find out about her parents -Scotch Irish.)
Thank you for any response on above, Constance of California.
Hi Constance, yes Farmersgirl Kitchen is very much an active site, although I’m taking a bit of a break from new posts over the Holidays. Scotch Broth can have small pieces of meat in it, the version here is a vegetarian one but the original would have been made with mutton and probably would have contained pieces of meat. In terms of your family tree enquiry, if Eliza Bradley has opted to follow the comments in this post then she may pick up this reply, but not everyone does. Information on Scottish family history can be researched via The National… Read more »
Delicious! It is very similar to the Russian pearl barley soup, only without lentils and kale. In winter you can add a chopped gherkin to the soup.
Thanks Galina. I think every country will have a similar soup, very much peasant food and none the worse for that!
This looks like a perfect winter comforting meal..hunks of bread with salted butter alongside! YUM.
Scotch broth is one of my favourite soups EVER and shame on me for never having made it! True I am used to it with a small amount of lamb in it – since our girls have asked that we abstain from eating lamb, in any shape or form, I will make this veggie version. Thank you for reminding me what a great soup this is. Sammie.
It is lovely made with meat, but quicker and easier to make a veggie version, obviously also more acceptable to your girls too.
I love hearty soups! Pearl barley is such a good addition to soups, especially at this time of the year.
Thanks Sus, pearl barley is a great grain.
I love scotch broth. One of my favourites. Your tartan looks very much like a Maclean one. Is it?
Gosh I have no idea Ali, it’s a piece of material that I used to make a tablecloth! Thanks for your kind comment about the Scotch Broth.
This looks delicious and perfect for the cold weather we are having. Thank you for entering #SuperSoup
I love a good Scotch broth and used to make it loads with neck of lamb. Need to get making this in my Teermocook next, such a good hearty soup!
ooooh YES!!! Good to get an authentic recipe from an authentic Scot. This does look good and The Viking would adore it!
Thanks Dom, it’s a great soup for the weekend as a hunk of bread makes it a meal! I’ll be over to see your authentic millionaires truffles from authentic millionaires lol!
Your Scotch broth sounds absolutely wonderful. It’s been years since I had any. My aunt used to make it a lot, but she wasn’t Scottish. Bookmarked.
Nice to be reminded of those favourites. I’m sure this or something similar is made by most cultures and remember we celts of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany are all related 😉
Oh my. I love hearty soups like this one. Thanks for sharing with NCR.
Oh yum!! I’ve just been trolling the web looking for something to make for supper. This is the winner. I don’t have a scotch mix but I believe I have most of the ingredients in my cupboard. I’m also going to forward this recipe to a good friend who is mostly vegetarian and loves everything scottish. Thank you for the recipe.
That’s lovely Holly, I’m so pleased that the recipe is what you were looking for.
Hi this looks so good but I’m in a house hold of 4 growing sons, how would you cook the beef skirt please?
Sorry that was worded badly lol, the recipe looks awesome, but my 4 growing sons are meat lovers. How would I cook the beef skirt to go in the broth? Can’t wait to batch cook this. Will be amazing on the cold nights to come.
Hi Kim, no problem. I would brown the beef skirt in a little oil then continue with the recipe. Once the soup is cooked, take out the meat, shred and return to the pot.
If you don’t want to cook the meat in the soup then simply add leftover beef from a roast or stew and the end of cooking. Enjoy!
Thank you for your help look forward to feeding my tribe this on a cold snuggley night.
You are welcome Kim
This looks wonderful, especially since it’s snowing where I live. I’ll have to scout for a similar mix in my rural midwest grocery store! Thanks for sharing.
thanks Niki, definitely soup weather!
I’m so glad I saw this flashing on your homepage, Janice. This soup reminds me so much of when I was growing up in Scotland and had this often. It’s very special. And it’s high time I made it for my family in France – I can’t believe I’ve never made it for them, so your recipe is much appreciated! Wonderful x
Yes, Scotch Broth or Lentil Soup were on everyone’s table Jill. It’s by far my most popular recipe!
I live in America and would love to make this; any suggestions on where to find the broth mix, or substitutions? Thank you!
I’ll check that out and see if I can find a source for you.
Thank you!
I’ve looked all over for this and asked some US bloggers too. I’m afraid the Broth mix is not available for purchase in the states, all you could do is try to recreate it yourself. As I say in the recipe “the pack I used contained 55% Pearly Barley, 18% Yellow Split peas, 9% Green Split Peas, 9% Blue Peas and 9% Red Split Lentils. Blue peas are the same peas used for Green Split peas, but whole and with the skin left on.” Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Thank you so much for trying, I really appreciate it! I’m going to try it with the ratio you used, I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I’d love to know how you get on, so please do come back and let me know.
In the USA would buy the manichevitz soup mix – the “mushroom” one which comes in a cellophane long “envelope” and not use the flavoring and add more barley and a bit of red lentil. There is another brand that makes a dry soup mix “envelope” that is similar, but I can not remember the name. I find them in stop and shop supermarkets and in ocean state job lot (cheaper there) and stock up. I would also use the lamb and leek….but to each his own! It’s a great soup, and works well in the slow cooker, too.
Thank you, Constance. I haven’t heard of that.
Your scotch broth menu sounds lovely but do you know the slow cooker method please?
Thank you, John. It is a lovely warming soup. For the slow cooker just put all the ingredients in your slow cooker, use about 2 litres of stock as it doesn’t evaporate the way it does in a pot. Cook for 8 hours on Low. If you like you can wait 4 hours before adding the kale, but it is pretty robust and will stand up to the full cooking time.
Hmmm yummy… I am Asian… we have this kind of broth too but we usually use rice instead of pulses…
I sometimes use rice too, especially in a chicken broth.
I make this delicious soup also with celeriac. How much u take is taste.
And fresh bacon.
It is Scottich broth at the Dutch way.
Have a good meal!
Indeed, this soup is one that accepts all vegetables and I love celeriac
My husband is a scot and where he came from in Angus they use also kale in a scotch broth and it is very common. I love the soup very comforting.
It’s one of those soups where you can add whatever you like, kale is a traditional ingredient.
I put a ham Hough in mine or ham ribs,still can’t make it like my gran though
Everyone and everyone’s granny has their own recipe, I think that’s the joy of traditional recipes, don’t you?
Hello, how many onions does this recipe require? They’re currently missing from the ingredients list but included in the method. Looks lovely!
Apologies for that, just one onion required.
I’m making a giant pot of this (My Mum-in-law brings us bags of Scotch Broth mix over here to Texas and we had 2 bags expiring soon!). I went by your recipe, but used chicken broth as it’s what we had… I soaked my broth mix overnight and it’s been cooking for well over what you suggest and the peas from the mix are still kinda crunchy! I’m afraid if I cook it much longer, then barley will turn to complete mush. Do ya have any suggestions for the future? Should I soak the broth mix even longer next time?… Read more »
Hi Renee
I soak the broth mix overnight, so I don’t think that is the problem. You should be able to cook the soup for up to an hour and a half without any ill effects. Different broth mixes may behave slightly differently, so that may be what is happening.
Hello, and thank you for your posting about this wonderful soup. I had it long a go when I was a child (From Campbell’s) and have never forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I have been researching how to make it, but wanted to keep it as traditional as possible. Your notes and recipe have been very helpful in that, and I am grateful. I will be attempting this sooner rather than later; mutton is unavailable here in Montana, and so is lamb neck, so I will be attempting this with lamb shanks, which I hope will work well. Many… Read more »
Thank you, Ron. I’m so glad the recipe has helped you and I’m sure the lamb shanks will add a lovely flavour to the soup.
Lamb shank was the usual meat in my part old South Glasgow. Just one, no matter how many were eating the broth. Fascinating how personal such recipes are. I learned broth in Glasgow in 1970 from my neighbours who all used the same recipe and woe betide anyone who didn’t – though they would refer scathingly to others who did something different. You’d see a procession in the mornings pushing the prams first to the grain store – wonderful lost institutions – for a few ounces of “soup mix”, then too the butcher for a lamb shank – a trayful… Read more »
Ooh lamb shank would be delicious
Interesting, but as a Scot, I can’t see any mention of lamb or mutton, a key ingredient of Scotch Broth
You are absolutely right that a traditional Scotch Broth would have included lamb or mutton. I haven’t included lamb or mutton in this recipe as that’s not how this Scot makes Scotch Broth and, I do make it clear that there are many different recipes. If you look just above the recipe you will see I say the following: “If I was truly sticking with tradition then the stock should be made with neck of mutton or lamb” It’s a very versatile recipe that can be adapted to all tastes. I hope you will try the recipe and see what… Read more »
Looks lush!
Thank you, it’s a real winter warmer
Perfect for winter, I love a thick bowl of soup. Love the veggie twist you’ve given to scotch broth!
Thanks Lucy, it’s one of our family favourites.
It sounds absolutely delicious! I don’t think I’ve had scotch broth for years but it would be so warming right now!
Thanks Corina, it is a classic and for good reason, so comforting.
Beautifully hearty soup, would be perfect in this damp and horrible weather we’ve been having. I love grains like pearl barley in soups, they add so much goodness and substance too!
Thank you, yes it certainly warms you up.
Just been reminded about this fabulous recipe of yours Janice. It’s about time I put it to the test 😉
This sounds delicious. I had no idea that Scotch broth could be veggie and I’m very pleased to see it! Will definitely give this a try soon.
Oh I’m so pleased you like it, I have a friend who is vegetarian who made it and served to her very traditional meat eating Dad and he loved it.
I love making this scotch broth and I put a smoked gammon joint in it or a smoked gammon steak then cut it up hubby loves it this way
Sounds delicious, Maureen. It’s one of those soups you can pretty much do whatever you want with.
I am on my 4rth pot and make it now as vegetarian its healthy and delish so my family tell me …although I think it lacks a on flavour …how many veg cubes to a big pot is the question ?
Oh, Jacqueline you’ve made my day. Thank you so much for your kind comments. I use 4 vegetable stock cubes for a big pot, I make mine in my pressure cooker, so it is a big pot. I have lots of other soups on the blog, do have a look, you may find a new favourite 😊
Fantastic recipe. Thank you. I make this often at this time of year.
We are vegan, and I often “spice” things up by adding diced seitan to it about 15 minutes before serving.
Yesterday’s included a peppery “salami” seitan, Very good.
I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Scotch Broth, David. I’ve eaten seitan and really enjoyed it, the salami style sounds excellent.
My mother was from Edinburgh. We were raised on Lentil soup, often made with leftover meat. At Christmas we had turkey lentil soup for days! She learned the recipe from her mother, who learned from her mother. And so on. However she would vary this occasionally with Scotch Broth & must say, I preferred it! “Glasgow Soup”, she’d call it, with a wry smile. The friendly animosity between Edinburgh & Glasgow is legendary & somehow she thought lentil more refined. I wish she was around today, as could tell her, after much delving in the annals of “Scotland’s People”, that… Read more »
What a great story! Lentil soup was most common in my Mum’s kitchen. I do love all the pulses in Scotch Broth though. I’ve never heard it called Glasgow soup, but I do know about the rivalry. You put whatever you want in your soup, I certainly do. Thank you for sharing your soup ‘history’ and enjoy your Scotch Broth!
Janice, what a gorgeous scot! Your directions make this seem like such an easy approach, too. I would love to make this soon!
Thank you, Alyssa. It’s my most popular recipe, I hope you enjoy it.
Janice,thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Thank you for letting me know, I’m glad you enjoyed the Scotch Broth.
Janice, bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Thank you, Olga.
I must try your Scotch Broth once the weather gets cold again, I think a nice freshly baked soda bread would be just yummy with it:-)
Yes, soda bread would go really well with Scotch Broth. It’s a good filling soup and bread would make it a filling meal.
Janice does the recipe itself or does it need something added to thicken it as i am 71 year old learner. Also can you make it in a slow cooker. If so would i do it on high or low setting.🤔☺😂
P.S. Sounds good i like it thick mmmmm
Hi .john, no need to add anything to thicken the soup, the barley and peas release starch which makes the soup thick. I haven’t made it in the slow cooker, so can’t give you a definitive answer. From experience I would be inclined to cook it on low for 8 hours, no guarantees that it will be the same as making it on the stove. Let me know how you get on.
Thanks very much Janice will do.
You are welcome
P.P.S.I don’t think my comment sounded right at the beginning of the post but I think you’ll make sense of it. 😄👌
Hi and thank you for this Scotch Broth recipe. I’m wondering why you use pearl barley, which has husks removed, rather than barley, which is a whole grain. I’m curious as I want to make this and I’m not sure if I can use whole barley instead, and if it will still produce a good result.
Hi Eugenie, I use a Scotch Broth mix which contains pearl barley. I listed the ingredients because I know this mix can be difficult to find outside the UK. I haven’t tried the recipe with whole (pot) barley but I can see no reason why it wouldn’t work. I’ve cooked with pot barley before and the only thing might be that you have to cook the soup a little longer to soften the whole barley. If you try it, I’d be interested to hear how you get on.