Scotch Broth (Scottish Soup Recipe)

Brimming with chunky vegetables, barley, split peas, lentils and soft strips of shredded boiling beef (short ribs), my Scotch Broth Soup Recipe is the best you’ll ever cook and eat! And I don’t make that claim lightly!

Scotch Broth Soup is the best Scottish soup recipe to exist (apologies to Lentil and Ham Hough soup…). 

It’s my absolute favourite of all the soup recipes I’ve shared on this website. You can find them all here in my Soup Category page. 

If you’re looking for other soup recipes then why not try my:

Celeriac and Apple with Nutmeg Soup

Roasted Tomato and Basil (this is especially popular with my toddler) 

Cullen Skink (Scottish Smoked Haddock Soup)

Or if you’re looking for some Winter Warmers, try my:

Stewed Sausages

Mince and Tatties

Slow Cooker Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff

What is Scotch Broth Mixture?

Scottish Broth Mixture is a blend of:

Pearl Barley

Yellow Split Peas

Green Split Peas

Blue Peas

Red Split Lentils 

I use Great Scot Scotch Broth Mix which you can pick up in most UK supermarkets. 

How Is Scotch Broth Traditionally Made?

Much like any cuisine that has been around a while, Scotch Broth Soup has many variations and versions that are all similar, but different. 

Ingredients that you will commonly see feature in Scotch Broth Soup recipes are:

Lamb (or Mutton) or Beef

Dried Pulses Blend (see above description of Scotch Broth Mix) 

Carrots, Swede (Rutabaga or Neeps), Turnip, Onion, Potato, Leeks, Cabbage, Kale

I have highlighted the ingredients above which I use in my recipe. 

My Gran always makes her Scotch Broth soup recipe with boiling beef, which is why this is the meat that features in my version. Traditionally, it would be a fatty cut of lamb; like lamb shoulder or cheap bone-in lamb, like lamb ribs.

However, I yield more meat from boiling beef, versus the traditional option, which is another reason to opt for beef. Who doesn’t want extra protein and meat in their soup?! This is especially true if you pick them up from your local butcher where you know the quality is unrivaled! I got these beauties from Kinnaird Butcher Shop and Deli in Larbert. 

Since lamb meat is the traditional option, lamb stock is the obvious stock option. Thus, I give a nod to tradition by using lamb stock, whilst giving a nod to my Gran with the short ribs (boiling beef). The combination is always something that I get questions about, but trust me – it works. Pick a combination that works for you (even if it’s simply vegetable stock)!

Ingredients 

Scotch Broth Mix: see sections above ‘What is Scotch Broth Mixture’ and ‘What Can I Use Instead of Scotch Broth Mix?’

Beef: using a bone-in cut of meat improves the flavour, so I would personally opt for short rib or lamb ribs.

Bay Leaves: as this soup can resemble a stew in its thick consistency, I like to add the floral notes of a few bay leafs whilst it is cooking. They aren’t essential though, so don’t worry if you don’t have them. 

Lamb Stock: a nod to Scottish tradition, as I genuinely do love the flavour of lamb, so I opt to use lamb stock cubes. You can use beef to align with the choice of boiling beef or simply use vegetable stock.

Parsley: parsley is a delicate herb and should therefore be added within the last 5 minutes of cooking or just before serving. Roughly chop and add back into the Scotch Broth soup at the end with the shredded short rib meat for a vibrant, fresh and herby note on the palate. I use Flat Leaf Parsley but curly parsley is what my Papa used.

Vegetables

Swede

Carrots

Onions

Leek

Potatoes 

You can add any additional vegetables you like or have available to your Scotch Broth. Soup is a great option for using up sad vegetables that are languishing at the bottom of your fridge. You could add: cabbage, kale or celery. 

Method for Scotch Broth Soup

Measure dried broth mix⁣ and leave to soak overnight in cold water.

If you have forgotten to soak it overnight and want to make your soup now, I would recommend boiling the broth mix for approx. 20 minutes to soften it before adding it to the soup at the recommended stage. Soaking it overnight ensures the pulses aren’t crunchy in the Scotch Broth.

Add a little oil to a large soup pot and allow to heat up whilst you coat 1 kg boiling beef (short ribs) with some salt and pepper. Place boiling beef into a large soup pot⁣ and brown off on all sides.

Then add lamb stock to the pot and allow to simmer on medium heat for 1 hour, skimming any skim/fat off the top of the soup as needed. You can also blot the top of the soup with kitchen paper before the next step, to remove any residual fat droplets. 

Whilst the beef is simmering, prepare the vegetables: grate 2 carrots, grate 1/2 swede, finely chop 2 onion⁣, finely slice 1 leek, peel and cube 2 potato (medium). I like to use a food processor to reduce the time it takes to prepare the vegetables.

After the beef has been simmering for 1 hour and you’ve removed the fat, add the prepared vegetables into the soup pot with the drained broth mixture and 2 bay leaves

Bring to boil, and then turn down to a simmer – allow to simmer for 2 hours. Finally, remove boiling beef from pot (allow to cool) and also remove bay leaves too. Once the beef has cooled, remove fat and shred the meat before the shredded meat adding back into the pot of soup⁣ along with parsley.

Storage + Preparation

How long does it keep in the fridge? It will last approximately 4-5 days in an airtight container.

Can you freeze Scotch Broth? The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. The exact duration will be dictated by what temperature your freezer is and also where in the freezer you store it. 

What type of container can you freeze soup in? When freezing soup, you can use any freezer safe container – made of plastic, glass or freezer-safe bags (using bags, lying flat, is a good space saver).

Re-Heating: the soup can be re-heated from frozen, or either after defrosting in the fridge or directly from the fridge either in the microwave or in a pot on the hob/stovetop. Heat until piping hot throughout before serving.

And finally …

If you have any questions, or want to tell me what you think of my recipe, then leave a comment below!

If you like this recipe and are looking for more soup recipes then why not check out my Soup Category or check out my other extremely popular Scottish soup recipe: Lentil and Ham Hough Soup?