Scotch Broth

Scotch Broth, a humble potage of lamb, split peas, barley and vegetables, fills my family’s bellies in winter time 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.  I remember it fondly from childhood – Scotch Broth and Mulligatawny were my favorites, though when I was growing up they came from a red and white can.

It took me a while to find a recipe for Scotch Broth that was just right.  Too often they were too thick, too thin or featured odd ingredients – incongruent with the dish’s history.  I’ve been lucky – only recently having come across what has now become my favorite recipe for Scotch Broth in a cookbook about soups: Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Occasions by Kimi Harris of the blog The Nourishing Gourmet.

Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Occasions

Few people share my intense passion for broths, soups, stews and other long-simmered things. and Kimi is one of them, and in her book Ladled, she explores a wide variety of simple, nourishing broths, soups and stews. Ladled is a celebration of bones and broth, vegetables, good fats, good meat and simple, humble flavors.

There’s a distinctive grace and humbleness of the soup pot, and Kimi celebrates that grace and humble nature of homemade soups with a simple, step-by-step approach and recipes that range from traditional to inventive.  While, in my kitchen, I tend to lean upon classic European flavor pairings; Kimi opens up a new world of flavors that not only include classics like this Scotch Broth or French Lentil and Vegetable Soup, she also includes Thai Congee, Miso Udon and Chicken Soup and a brilliant Korean Oxtail Soup.  Further, Ladled includes refreshing dessert soups and chilled summer soups as well.

You can pick up a copy of Ladled  online (including through independent booksellers).

Soaking Lentils and Barley

The Scotch Broth in Ladled calls for soaking split peas and barley overnight.  Soaking grains and pulses performs three functions: 1) it improves texture, 2) it reduces cook time, and 3) it improves the bioavailability of trace minerals by deactivating food phytate – a naturally occurring chemical found in grains and pulses that binds up minerals preventing their full absorption.

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Why Use Grass-fed Lamb (and where to find it)

Scotch Broth, a pottage of split peas and barley, also features lamb.  The recipe begins first by browning lamb shanks in hot fat, and then slowly simmering them in the water where they create their own broth.  Before too long the meat softens to a beautiful tenderness and falls away easily from the bone.

Lamb is rich in zinc, a mineral that supports fertility and immune system health.  Lamb is also rich in healthy fats and offers a favorable ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids.

We buy two whole lambs each year from local ranchers, and keep the meat, bone and offal tucked away neatly in our freezer.  You can check your local farmers market or food cooperatives for local sources of grass-fed lamb, and you can also purchase it online here.