"Cock-a-leekie" is a classic Scottish soup with a rich history and distinct flavor profile. The combination of chicken, leeks, and barley creates a comforting and hearty dish that is perfect for a cold winter's day. This article will explore the origins of "cock-a-leekie" soup and provide a guide for creating the perfect bowl of this timeless Scottish delicacy.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
TASTY SCOTTISH COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
Cock-a-leekie soup is a staple dish in many Scottish homes and, if you've been brought up eating Scottish food, there is a high chance you'll be familiar with this warming chicken and leek based soup. Traditionally served in the winter and named 'Scotland's National Soup' Cock-a-leekie is a thick and flavoursome soup consisting of leeks, chicken and rice traditionally garnished with prunes.
Provided by Phil & Sonja
Categories Recipes
Time 1h45m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Chop the green parts off the leeks and put in the bottom of a pot, place the chicken on top.
- Surround the chicken with the celery sticks, carrots, onion, and bay leaves. Cut them down to fit if necessary.
- Add liberal amounts of salt and white pepper.
- Pour cold water over the top (it should cover the chicken so you may need to use a little more or less than stated.
- Cover and bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for about one hour, until juices run clear when you push a knife into the chicken, or the chicken is falling off the bone.
- Chop two whites of the leeks into rounds. The other two remains of the leeks are not necessary for the rest of the recipe so you can set aside to use for something else.
- Chop the 2 remaining carrots into small pieces.
- Use a spoon to remove some of the fat that floats to the top of the water.
- Remove the chicken (I find the most uncomplicated way is to put in a colander over a bowl to collect any extra liquid, then tip the liquid back in the pot).
- Set aside to cool a little.
- Take the green part of the leeks, the onion, celery, and carrots from your stock.
- Add the chopped whites of the leeks and the carrot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the rice and simmer for a further 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
- Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bone and shred, and discard the bones.
- Taste the stock and add more salt and pepper if necessary or simmer for longer and allow it to reduce to strengthen the flavour.
- Add the shredded chicken back in and allow to heat through for a few minutes.
- Dish into a bowl and sprinkle with a few chopped, dried, prunes then serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 400 calories, Carbohydrate 27 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 105 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 17 grams fat, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 35 grams protein, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 279 grams sodium, Sugar 9 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams unsaturated fat
COCK A LEEKIE SOUP
Traditional Scots soup of chicken and leeks. One pound of potatoes, peeled and cubed, could be substituted for the barley, if desired.
Provided by briony
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken, water, onion and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken, discard the bones and skin, chop meat into bite size pieces and return to the pot.
- Add the chicken broth, leeks, celery, thyme, parsley, salt and ground black pepper. Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 242.8 calories, Carbohydrate 12.4 g, Cholesterol 125.9 mg, Fat 6.5 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 32.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.6 g, Sodium 502.8 mg, Sugar 2.6 g
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
Steps:
- Cut up the whole chicken and chop some of the meat into pieces. (You will have leftover chicken meat.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 930 kcal, Carbohydrate 44 g, Cholesterol 274 mg, Fiber 6 g, Protein 90 g, SaturatedFat 12 g, Sodium 622 mg, Sugar 11 g, Fat 43 g, ServingSize Serves 4, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories appetizer
Time 1h45m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a small bowl combine the prunes with the Scotch and 2 tablespoons of water and set aside. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Place a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Saute the chicken on each side until well-browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and pour off any fat left in the pan. Add the remaining butter to the pan, saute the leeks over medium-low until tender, about 25 minutes. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with a piece of kitchen twine. Add the herb bundle, the chicken and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook the soup for until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken, set aside to cool slightly. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup with a spoon or ladle, if needed. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch chunks. Add the chicken cubes, the prunes, and their liquid to the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. To serve divide the soup evenly among 6 warm soup bowls.
- Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
James Martin gives the classic restorative Scottish soup a twist - the prunes add a sweet contrast to the rich chicken broth
Provided by James Martin
Categories Lunch, Main course
Time 1h45m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan until hot. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown, then remove and set aside. Add the bacon, carrots, celery and leek tops, and fry for 5 mins until it all starts to brown. Pour off any excess fat.
- Splash in the wine and boil rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken pieces with the herbs and add enough cold water to cover. Slowly bring to the boil, then simmer for 40 mins until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, cover with foil and leave to cool slightly. Strain the soup into a clean saucepan and discard all the other ingredients. Leave to stand for a few mins and skim off any fat that rises to the top. Pull the meat from the chicken bones and tear into large chunks.
- Simmer the soup with the chicken, leeks and prunes for another 20-30 mins. Season to taste and serve with really good bread.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 337 calories, Fat 16 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 9 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 8 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 36 grams protein, Sodium 1.1 milligram of sodium
SCOTTISH COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
It may take a few hours to make this famous Scottish soup but there's really not much to it other than some chopping and simmering. It's one of the world's best chicken soups! Top with freshly ground black pepper and chopped fresh chives.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Chicken Soup
Time 4h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cut off the leek tops (the dark green, fibrous parts) and wash well. Set aside the leek bottoms.
- Put clean leak tops in the bottom of a large pot. Place chicken on top and add bay leaf, garlic, dried plums, and 3 quarts water. Set over high heat until it starts to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low or low and simmer gently, occasionally pushing the chicken under the liquid with tongs, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare leek bottoms by trimming off the root ends and slicing them in half lengthwise. Turn leeks and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices. Transfer to a large bowl and fill with cold water so leeks are floating. Toss with your hands to loosen dirt. Grab leeks with your hands, shake gently to remove water, and transfer to another bowl. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
- Carefully lift chicken with two forks, let liquid drain from the cavity, and place it in a bowl. Separate meat from skin and bones. Tear meat into bite-sized pieces put in the refrigerator until needed.
- Place skin and bones back into the pot and gently simmer for 1 more hour.
- Set a colander in a bowl. Use a skimmer spoon to transfer all solids from the broth to the colander. Discard solids and transfer any broth back to the pot.
- Add half of the sliced leeks to the pot with salt, pepper, and rice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, skimming some fat off if you want and adding more water if it's reducing down too much.
- Add remaining sliced leeks, chicken, and thyme. Simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 810.1 calories, Carbohydrate 37 g, Cholesterol 227 mg, Fat 46.2 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 59.9 g, SaturatedFat 13.1 g, Sodium 1224.8 mg
COCK-A-LEEKIE
Steps:
- Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven on medium-high until hot. Add the thighs; cook until browned, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the breasts.
- Add the broth, wine, celery, carrot, and garlic to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; scrape any browned bits from the pot. Return the chicken to the pot, reduce heat, and simmer, skimming as necessary, for 1 hour. Transfer the chicken to a plate; let cool. Transfer the vegetables to another plate; reserve.
- Add the leeks, prunes, and barley to the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, about 40 minutes more. Once the chicken has cooled, shred the meat. Finely dice the carrot and celery. Stir the chicken, carrot, celery, and parsley into the soup, heat through, and serve.
- Fit to eat recipe
- (Per serving)
- Calories: 416
- Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 132mg
- Carbohydrate: 32g
- Sodium: 754mg
- Protein: 43g
- Fiber: 5g
COCK-A-LEEKIE
This porridgelike soup has Scottish roots. Barley makes it thick, and prunes give it a slightly sweet note; white wine and vegetables, includung leeks, add flavor. It's a popular lunch bowl that hits the spot.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven on medium-high until hot. Add thighs; cook until browned, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with breasts.
- Add broth, wine, celery, carrot, and garlic to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; scrape any browned bits from pot; return chicken to pot, reduce heat, and simmer, skimming as necessary, for 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Transfer vegetables to another plate; reserve.
- Add leeks, prunes, and barley to broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, about 40 minutes more. Once chicken has cooled, shred meat. Finely dice carrot and celery. Stir chicken, carrot, celery, and parsley into soup, heat through, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 416 g, Cholesterol 132 g, Fat 5 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 43 g, Sodium 754 g
COCK-A-LEEKIE PIE
The chicken and leek meld together as they cook in the filling.
Provided by Inez Valk-Kempthorne
Categories Soup/Stew Chicken Bake Kid-Friendly Bon Appétit Small Plates
Yield 6 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 375°. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook bacon, stirring often, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in same skillet until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add a splash of water to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add leeks to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook until leeks are very soft, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Shred chicken and add to leeks along with thyme leaves and prunes.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisk in broth, adding a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5-7 minutes. Mix sauce into leek mixture; season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14" round. Transfer to a 10" cast-iron skillet or a 9 1/2"-diameter deep pie dish. Lift up edge and let dough slump down into dish. Trim, leaving a 1" overhang. Spoon filling into skillet. Roll out second disk of dough to 11" round. Drape over filling and trim to a 1" overhang. Fold overhang under; crimp with a fork. Cut a few vents in top; brush with egg.
- Bake until crust is golden brown, 50-60 minutes. Let pie cool slightly.
- Do ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
Make and share this Cock-A-Leekie Soup recipe from Food.com.
Provided by JackieOhNo
Categories Whole Chicken
Time 2h15m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Wash chicken and put in pot without giblets. Add broth, carrots, celery, onion, and parsley.
- Bring to a boil, reduce hat and simmer, covered, until chicken is very tender.
- Remove chicken from broth and let cool; refrigerate broth.
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat and cut into pieces; discard skin and bones.
- When fat has solidified on broth, remove fat and discard.
- Heat broth and add barley to boiling broth. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Trim root ends and dark green stalks from leeks and cut in half lengthwise. Wash well, then slice and add to broth with potato; cook until vegetables are tender.
- Add chicken and slowly pour in cream.
- Heat through but do not boil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 446.4, Fat 22.7, SaturatedFat 8.4, Cholesterol 86.6, Sodium 1061.9, Carbohydrate 33.7, Fiber 5.5, Sugar 5.2, Protein 26.8
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP (SCOTTISH CHICKEN AND LEEK SOUP)
Leeks star in this classic Scottish chicken soup, adding their sweet, oniony flavor to the meaty, fragrant broth. Some versions of this recipe omit the prunes, but their rich fruitiness is what sets this dish apart from other chicken soups. Rice, either brown or white, can stand in for the barley, and some recipes call for oats (in which case use an equal amount of steel-cut, rather than rolled). For a heartier, more stewlike soup, use 3/4 cup barley.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Season chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set chicken aside while prepping the other ingredients.
- Put leek greens, carrot peels, celery leaves, garlic, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaf and star anise at bottom of a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the peppercorns, and pour in 8 cups cold water, or enough to just submerge the chicken.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and partly cover the pot. Cook until chicken is cooked through and very tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, thickly slice 3 of the leek whites into 1/2-inch coins. Thinly slice the remaining leek white; set thinly and thickly sliced leeks aside separately.
- When the chicken is tender, using tongs, transfer to a large bowl or plate to cool. Strain the broth into a large bowl, discarding vegetables and herbs.
- Wipe out the Dutch oven and return it to medium-high heat. Add butter, letting it melt. Add the thick leek coins (save the thinly sliced leek for garnish), a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer leek whites to a bowl (they can go on top of the chicken if there's room).
- Pour broth back into the pot. Bring broth to a brisk simmer, and stir in barley, carrots and celery. Let broth simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced by a third, and the barley and vegetables are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
- While the broth is simmering, use a fork or your fingers to shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones.
- Once the barley and vegetables are tender, stir in shredded chicken, sautéed leek whites and the prunes, and simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the prunes to soften (some might disintegrate). Taste and add salt, if needed. To serve, garnish with thinly sliced leek whites and parsley leaves.
COCK-A-LEEKIE
Provided by Frank Bruni
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place chicken stock in a large saucepan and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, set aside a large bowl of ice water. When stock is boiling, add leeks and poach for 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and place in ice water until cool, then drain.
- Add star anise and chicken pieces to broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is just done, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken and anise to a bowl and add enough hot broth to just cover; set aside. Return remaining broth to high heat and reduce to 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Meanwhile, in a medium pan of lightly salted water, boil red potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add prunes and cream to reduced broth. Boil until prunes are soft and sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add leeks and continue to cook until leeks are lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Transfer bacon and leeks to paper towels to drain; keep warm.
- Season sauce with salt to taste. Drain potatoes and toss with mint. Drain chicken (broth may be reserved for another use), discarding star anise. To serve, place chicken on a plate, ladle with prune sauce, and top with leeks and bacon. Add potatoes and serve.
COCK A LEEKIE SOUP
I am actually copying this from "all recipes" because I want to keep all my recipes on one site -- this one. This can also be made with breast meat and is quite good.
Provided by John W
Categories Chicken
Time 1h45m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken, water, onion and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken, discard the bones and skin, chop meat into bite size pieces and return to the pot.
- Add the chicken broth, leeks, celery, thyme, parsley, salt and ground black pepper. Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the soup will be. Look for fresh, flavorful leeks, carrots, and chicken.
- Don't overcook the vegetables: You want them to be tender but still have a little bit of texture.
- Season the soup well: Use salt, pepper, and bay leaves to taste. You can also add other herbs and spices, such as thyme, rosemary, or parsley.
- Let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes: This will allow the flavors to meld together and develop.
- Serve the soup with crusty bread or crackers: This will help to soak up the delicious broth.
Conclusion:
Cock-a-leekie soup is a classic Scottish dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is hearty, flavorful, and easy to make. With a few simple tips, you can make a delicious pot of cock-a-leekie soup that your family and friends will love.
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