Scotch broth
125 min · 24 g protein · 284 cals / serving
A thick, warming Scottish broth of tender lamb, pearl barley and split peas, packed with swede, carrot, leek and shredded cabbage. Every spoonful is soft barley, sweet root vegetables and savoury lamb, with a handful of parsley stirred in at the end.
Ingredients
- 500 g leg of lamb, lean lamb leg or neck fillet, trimmed of fat and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1.5 litres beef broth, lamb or beef stock
- 500 ml water
- 75 g barley, pearl barley, rinsed
- 50 g split peas, dried green or yellow split peas, rinsed
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1/2 small swede rutabaga, peeled and diced
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 1 large leek, sliced and washed
- 1/4 savoy cabbage cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- a large handful fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Put the lamb in a large pot with the stock and water. Bring to the boil and skim off the froth that rises, then add the barley, split peas, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot, swede, celery and leek and simmer, partly covered, for 35–40 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the split peas have softened into the broth. Top up with a little water if it gets too thick.
- Stir in the cabbage and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until just tender. Remove the bay leaves, season with the salt and pepper, then stir through most of the parsley. Serve scattered with the rest.
Good to know
Which cut of lamb?
Neck fillet is traditional and turns meltingly tender; it is richer, with more fat: a score of about 81 instead of 86. Lean leg works just as well and is easier to trim. Cut away any thick fat so the broth stays clean rather than greasy.
Do I need to soak the split peas?
No. Split peas soften in the time it takes the lamb to cook. Many shops sell a 'broth mix' of barley, split peas and lentils, and you can use 125 g of that instead of the two separately.
Make it ahead?
It is better the next day. Chill it overnight, lift off any fat that has set on top, and reheat with a splash of water, because the barley thickens it as it sits.
Alternatives
Can't fill you up alone — pair it with protein.
Per
- Calories
- 49
- Protein
- (36%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (18%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (46%)
- 6 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 235 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1702 kcal goes into the pot and 3755 g of ingredients comes out as about 3450 g of food: 49 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.