Scotch Broth, a humble potage of lamb, split peas, barley, and vegetables, fills my family's bellies in wintertime when the lingering cold and snow seem to draw out our strength and internal warmth. Scotch Broth has long been a favorite of mine - thick with split peas and barley, flecked with long-simmered bits of tender lamb meat and ladled into waiting bowls.

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5 from 1 vote

10 to 12 servings

Scotch Broth

This classic Scotch Broth, a satisfying and filling broth-based soup featuring kale, split peas, lamb and barley, comes.

Prep Time12 hrs 5 mins

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time13 hrs 35 mins

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Ingredients

1 cup hulled barley
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
½ cup split peas
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 large lamb shank
1 yellow onions (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 celery ribs (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (sliced thin)
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
12 cups water
1 bunch kale
2 teaspoons finely ground real salt
ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the barley in a small bowl with about 1 cup warm water. Stir in cider vinegar. In a separate bowl, pour the split peas into a bowl and cover with warm water. Leave both bowls in a warm room for 12 to 24 hours. After the time has passed, drain the barley and the split peas, and rinse them well.
In a large pot, heat the butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add the lamb shanks to the pot and brown them on both sides, turning as needed. Room the lamb and set aside.
Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent burning.
Return the lamb to the pot and add the thyme, bay, and 12 cups water. Pour in the soaked split peas and barley. Bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the lamb shanks are very tender and the meat is easy to pull off the bone. Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and let them cool.
While the lamb cools, stem the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces Add the kale to the pot and simmer for 7 minutes or until the kale is soft.
Shred the lamb, and return it to the pot. Salt well, starting with 2 teaspoons, and add freshly ground pepper if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley, if you like, and serve.

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Comments

Jillian says

May 28, 2022 at 3:39 pm

I know this is terrifically old, but I wanted you to know that my teenager considers this their absolute favorite meal, and has requested it as a birthday meal for many years running. I am happy to oblige, as it's delicious, and it also freezes well, so it's a gift that keeps giving!

I wonder, can you clarify "room the lamb"? Is that just a typo for "remove"?

KT says

January 24, 2020 at 6:38 pm

Recipe sounds amazing and just what I'm looking for. Curious though about a minor discrepancy. Ingredient list calls for 1 lamb shank, and the instructions consistently refer to shanks in the plural.
One or two?

Raelene Hayes says

October 17, 2015 at 8:10 pm

Glad I found this recipe, thank you!

Liz Hartwell says

December 28, 2014 at 5:15 pm

I love this recipe! I have a gluten sensitivity which i am not very respectful of, and used barley the few times I have made this. The barley apparently is offensive to my GI system. So this time I am going to use farro perlato in place of the barley. Its not gluten free, but low in gluten and apparently better digested by folks who have gluten sensitivities. I will let you know how it turns out.

Also, I added some extra butter and a little half and half at the end. You can also use cheese rinds in the simmering part to add some extra richness. One time I added some fancy mushrooms which made it very good too. The wonderful thing about this recipie is that you can modify it for your own needs and its awesome no matter what.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, its one of the staples in my house!

Stephanie says

December 16, 2014 at 3:27 am

what would be a good substitute for lamb? Would a certain cut of grass fed beef work?

Amanda says

February 23, 2014 at 3:13 am

I'm a vegetarian, so I'll be leaving out the lamb, but I can't wait to try this soup! The barley + split peas combination sounds perfect. 🙂

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Scotch Broth

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