Cock-A-Leekie Soup
Enjoyed by Scots for generations, this hearty, classic soup consists of peppery chicken, leeks, barley and more traditionally, pitted prunes. A wonderfully heartwarming dish for a cold winter day!
Servings Prep Time
4bowls 30minutes
Cook Time
12hours and 40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4bowls 30minutes
Cook Time
12hours and 40 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken Stock
Soup
Instructions
  1. In a slow cooker, combine the chicken bones and carcass with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Then add enough water to cover the chicken bones.
  2. Set your slower cooker on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to low and cook overnight.
  3. When the stock is ready, remove the bones and transfer 6 cups of the broth to a medium-sized sauce pan. Freeze the extra stock for later soup-making endeavors.
  4. Add in the chopped chicken, leeks, brown sugar, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper and 2 cups water.
  5. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 30 minutes.
  6. Stir in the cooked barley (or rice), and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes. Add water as needed.
  7. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley.
  8. *Note: There is no wrong way to make this soup. Like a lot of Scottish cooking, it’s about making do with what you have. While the basis of the soup is always chicken stock, chicken and leeks, the rest is up to taste. Some choose to add carrot or celery, and others prefer potato in place of the rice.