Cullen Skink, Scotch Broth, Scottish Lentil and Tattie and Leak are all popular Scottish Soups that form part of a wholesome meal. But what do they all have in common?
Ingredients
Cullen Skink
There are a few variations to how this Scottish soup is made, but you’ll find that the base is always smoked haddock, potatoes, and onion.
This recipe makes two full bowls of soup, but you can easily scale it up to serve more people.
- 25g butter
- 1 medium onion
- 400g potatoes
- 280g smoked haddock (approximately 2 fillets)
- 300ml whole milk (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
- 300ml boiling water (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
- Optional – Parsley to garnish
- Optional – Fish stock cube
Scotch Broth
Serves 4-6
- 2 carrots (100g)
- 1 onion (100g)
- 1 leek (100g)
- 1 small neep (150g)
- 110g barley (1/2 cup)
- 70g split dried peas – ideally green but yellow is fine (1/3cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2.5 litres of lamb, chicken, or beef stock
- 30g butter/oil
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 250g shredded white cabbage (a few handfuls) or kale
- 200g meat (optional)
Scottish Lentil Soup
This recipe makes around 6-8 servings at least, depending on bowl size. If you don’t have a big enough pot then you can cut the amounts to suit.
- 300g red lentils (1.5 cups)
- 1 medium potato (about 150g)
- 1 small neep/swede (about 350g)
- 1 large carrot (about 230g)
- 1 leek (about 200g)
- 1 onion (about 200g)
- 1.5 litres of ham stock *see notes
- 30g butter or alternative (2 tbsp)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ham hock/gammon *optional see notes
Tattie & Leek or Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Serves 4-6
- Small whole chicken
- 4 large leeks
- 4 large carrots *optimal
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large onion
- Salt and white pepper
- 2.5 litres of cold water
Bluegrass Soup!
But what’s all this got to do about Bluegrass Soup? I hear you ask!
Well I’ll come back to that in a minute. But firstly I want to share this story with you.
My eldest granddaughter is about to begin her final year at University where she is studying to become a Teacher of Modern Languages in French, Spanish and High (Secondary) School English Teacher and by all the reports and feedback she has received thus far from her University Professors and the Teaching Staff at the Schools she has attended as a Student Teacher she’ll be amongst the highest group to Graduate at the end of fall 2023. Naturally I am very proud of her.
In order to help with her living cost’s and overseas education in Paris and Spain she has also been holding down several part time job’s over the course of the past four years which have included working for MacDonald’s as a Shift Leader, a Private Student Support Mentor/Tutor, a Sales Assistant at a major retail pharmacy, an Assistant Receptionist at an Opticians. A Care Worker providing assistance to Elderly Housebound Patients, and is currently working as a Team Leader at our local cinema.
Last night she gave my wife & I two tickets to go see ELVIS the movie and her parting words were “tell me what you think of it” Well to be honest I wasn’t really looking forward to the movie. I grew up in the 1950’s and it was my older brothers and sisters that were into that kind of music, my wife’s older brother was a huge fan of Elvis and her older sister was more into Cliff (who?) Richard. So my wife who is younger than me wasn’t big on Elvis either in her teens but her circle of family & friends were big fans of Elvis and some of that rubbed off on her so she was perhaps a tad more excited about seeing this movie than I was.
I am still wrestling with thoughts on the movie. In a way it was enjoyable, I learned some things I didn’t know and was reminded of a lot of things I knew but with the passage of time had slid way back in my memories archive. The best bits for me was hearing again the music that influenced Elvis and also had a big impact on the types of music I listened to and enjoyed as a teenager and the years since.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the ELVIS movie especially the young musicians here on the Forum.
Bluegrass Soup!
Which brings me back to the headline of this thread Bluegrass Soup! or what attracted me to the banjo in the first place.
Much has been written, talked about, argued over and said about Bluegrass Music it kinda makes you sit up and think. What is it about this music genre that draws folks both young and old to pick up an instrument and want to play this kind of music not just in the USA but across the world.
Watching the Elvis movie last night got me thinking, what was it that influenced Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs and the many other pioneers of Bluegrass to create and develop this music genre.
What it is that keeps Bluegrass as alive and exciting today as it was for the young and old folks of yesteryear. Young folk today have a much wider music genre to listen to but still, some are drawn towards traditional music like steel is to a magnet if indeed Bluegrass can now be described as Traditional Folk Music.
It has been said by many, that Scot’s and Irish Folk music is at the root of Bluegrass music with Jigs, Reels, Waltzes and Hornpipes. African music and rhythmic sounds also form a good part of the foundation with Jazz, Honky Tonk, Blues and Boogie Woogie influences. The Carter Family - Old Timey music is also steeped in the sound. The Big Band Sound all add to the mix. English Clog Dance music, Central European Polka and Cajun sounds. What other Ingredients and spices go to make this Bluegrass Soup such a wholesome sound?
After all that’s said here. Can we really say that Bluegrass Soup is a wholesome American product? As good as a great plate of Scottish soup?
I’ll leave you all to ponder over this awhile. 
Can you find some of the Ingredients in these videos that you’d find in Bluegrass Soup!