This page may contain affiliate links. So, I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about the Scottish classic soup called Cock-a-Leekie!

1,000 Foods To Eat Project

I am working my way through the foods that are listed in the book 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die by Mimi Sheraton. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project.

1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die Front Jacket

In this book, the author Mimi Sheraton lists her choice for the 1,000 Foods of the World that you MUST try.

Cock-a-Leekie soup, along with Welsh Cawl Cennin, is #40 in my project! This delicious soup originated from Scotland, and consists mainly of chicken (cock), and leeks (leekie). It is actually known as Scotland's National Soup! And...it's super delicious!

A Wee Bit of History About Cock-a-Leekie Soup

This traditional Scottish soup dates back hundreds of years, to the 16th century. From Wikipedia, I discovered that "The first known mention of this soup is from the Orchtertyre House Book (1737), an accounts book that recorded a dinner of 'cockie leekie fowlls in it'".

I also learned that the first written recipe came from Isabella Beeton, a Victorian era writer. She included her recipe for Cock-a-Leekie soup in her book "Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management."

Back in the day, this soup was made with fowl, cock, or rooster. Today, chicken is most commonly used.

The Scots might celebrate with this soup on:

Burns Night (Jan 25) celebrating their national poet, Robert Burns.
Hogmanay (Dec 31) - "Hogmanay" is the Scots word for the last day of the year
St. Andrew's Day (Nov 30) - St. Andrew is Scotland's Patron Saint and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official National Day

But I think this wonderful hearty soup is great for any day!

My Delicious Version of Cock-a-Leekie!

I have read that there are many versions and variations of this soup. After my research I came up with a version that is absolutely delicious!

The ingredients you will need for this soup are:

Chicken
Leeks
Carrot
Onion
Bay Leaf
Barley (to thicken the soup; may sub rice if you prefer; this is optional)
Spices: salt, pepper, mace, and cayenne
Prunes - julienned to garnish!

A Few Notes On Some Of The Ingredients

Here are a few notes on some of the ingredients:

Leeks are beautiful! In this recipe you will use the top tougher green parts of the leek separate from the bottom white more tender part.

Chopped up leeks — The more tender white parts of the leek will be eaten as part of the soup!

As you can see above, leeks tend to have a quite a bit of dirt in them. So please be sure to clean and rinse the leeks well of the dirt. It's helpful to slice the green parts lengthwise to open them up.

Prunes? Yes! It seems that prunes were included in the original recipe. I thought it very strange to garnish with prunes, but they gave a hint of sweetness to the dish which was absolutely delicious!

Barley is a very healthy grain! I invite you to view this article from Healthline called "9 Impressive Benefits of Barley." It is used to thicken the soup. You could also substitute rice if you like.

Mace is a spice which comes from the outer layer of the nutmeg seed. I had never cooked with this spice before, however the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die book recommended its use. It gave a warm nutmeg taste, with a hint of black pepper and cinnamon, to the soup.

Cayenne pepper was also mentioned in the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die book as a spice to use with this soup. I LOVE hot and spicy foods, so including cayenne to season this soup was absolutely delightful for me!

The Method To Make Cock-a-Leekie Soup!

It takes a little time to make this soup, however you will be rewarded with an incredible meal so it's totally worth your effort!

Here is a quick summary of the method to make this dish:

Bring chicken and water to a boil and skim off the scum that rises to the top. Then add onion, carrot, bay leaf, and the green parts (top tough parts) of the leeks to the chicken and water. Season, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Chicken, leeks, carrot, onion and bay leaf in a large stock pot filled with water

After 2 hrs, remove the chicken and vegetables from the stock pot, leaving only the broth. Add the barley (if using) and cook in the broth for the amount of time per package directions. Add the tender white parts of the leeks for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Chicken broth with chopped up leeks in a large stock pot

In the meantime, remove the chicken from the bones. Add to soup bowls, then ladle the hot soup over the chicken. Garnish with prunes and ENJOY!

Ta da! Now you have a hearty bowl of soup to enjoy! Enjoy this taste of Scotland!!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Delicious Hearty Welsh Cawl Cennin (Leek Broth)

Easy Shrimp Gumbo Using Zatarain's Gumbo Mix!

Incredible Middle Eastern Pizza - Lahmajoun

Join Me In This 1,000 Foods Journey!

Please follow along with me on this quest to try the 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, from the book by Mimi Sheraton! Join me in this journey and discover new foods, experiences, and cuisines which I hope will add inspiration, fun, and joy to your life! For a list of the foods tried so far visit the 1,000 Foods to Eat Project page.

Please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace

Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Grace

Enjoy a taste of the Highlands with this delicious Cock-a-Leekie soup! It's a traditional Scottish dish rich with chicken and leeks. It's the perfect hearty meal with an adorable name!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 45

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Scottish

Servings people

Equipment

Large stock pot

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken can use a small whole chicken or leg quarters as I did
2 leeks top green part and tender white parts will be used separately in this recipe
1 carrot cut up into a few large pieces
1 onion cut up into ½ or ¼
1 bay leaf
½-3/4 cup barley used to thicken the soup; may sub rice, or omit this entirely (this is optional)
small handful prunes cut up or julienned to garnish!
salt to taste
pepper to taste
¼ ts mace
¼ ts cayenne pepper

Instructions

Wash the chicken, and place it in a large stock pot. Add just enough water to cover, and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top.
Then add onion, carrot, bay leaf, and the green parts (top tough parts roughly chopped into fairly large pieces) of the leeks to the chicken and water. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hrs.
After 2 hrs, remove the chicken and vegetables from the stock pot, leaving only the broth. Add the barley (if using) and cook in the broth for the amount of time per package directions. PLEASE NOTE: refer to the package directions when cooking the barley. You may need to bring the broth back to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until the barley is entirely cooked. I am assuming cooking time for your barley may range from 15-45 minutes.
Add the tender white parts of the leeks (cut into rounds as in the photo) for the last 15 minutes of cooking. At this time add the cayenne pepper and mace. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference by adding salt and/or pepper.
In the meantime, remove the chicken from the bones. Add to soup bowls, then ladle the hot soup over the chicken. Garnish with prunes and ENJOY!

Notes

I found the addition of mace to give the soup a complex taste of nutmeg and really enjoyed this spice! However it may not be for everyone so feel free to omit the mace if you don't have it or it's not to your liking.

You will most likely have extra chicken left over so this can be enjoyed at another meal! This is a bonus! 🙂

The prunes give a hint of sweetness to the dish. It's my understanding that Cock-a-Leekie is often served without prunes, but I highly recommend including them!

Enjoy this taste of Scotland!!

Keyword Chicken and leek soup, Soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!