Name: Cock-a-Leekie Soup for Burns Night
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 64 oz organic chicken with giblets ((weight is unimportant)); 2 tsp sea salt ((or Kosher salt)); 16 oz leeks ((organic, sliced into rounds and washed thoroughly)); 3 Tbsp rice; 1 tsp Better than Bouillon ((chicken- low sodium, as needed)); 1 cup prunes ((optional)); 1 tsp black pepper ((as needed))

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Cock-a-Leekie soup is a traditional choice for the soup course on Burns Night, but you can make this Scottish chicken, leek and rice soup anytime of year.

If you’re having a Burns Night supper, you’ll probably have to make some decisions on the menu. For example, for the soup course, you can make cock-a-leekie soup or Cullen skink.

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Read more about Cullen skink, smoked haddock chowder, and get the full recipe.

Cullen Skink, fish, seafood, smoked haddock, Scottish — Cullen Skink, smoked haddock chowder

I had always wanted to make cock-a-leekie soup, but never realized how incredibly simple it is. I used the recipe from Janet Warren’s A Feast of Scotland cookbook. Well, I should say, I adapted the recipe because it sounded a bit overdone, so to speak.

A chicken is boiled along with a bay leaf, and leeks for 2 to 3 hours (!) then rice and an optional addition of prunes are added to the pot and boiled a further 30 minutes. A bit too long for my taste. As it is, I cooked the leeks for significantly less time and they still seemed overcooked.

Can’t get enough Scottish soups? Try this bone marrow soup, or Scotch broth recipe next!

Obviously, you too can adapt this recipe to your liking, but as far as the prunes go, apparently, they went “out of fashion” in the early 1800s! That’s good enough for me to omit them, however, I know people do add prunes to this soup and enjoy them.

Cock-a-Leekie soup is very light, but very tasty with the leeks and rice. Perfect for a starter, especially for Burns Night! You won’t believe how simple it is to make using only three ingredients (five, if you include water and salt). Another easy soup using leeks is leek and potato soup; have you tried it?

Be sure to choose good, fresh leeks for this dish as there aren’t many ingredients.

TITANIC TRIVIA: “Cockie Leekie” was offered on the first class luncheon menu
of the Titanic on April 14, 1912.

Can I make Cock a Leekie Soup in a Slow Cooker?

Absolutely, it’s actually perfect for a slow cooker. Just put the chicken, salt and water in the slow cooker on low for 4 or 5 hours. Then add the leeks and rice and continue to simmer for another hour or so, or until the rice is ready.

Cock-a-Leekie Soup
(Scottish Chicken, Leek and Rice Soup)

Slightly adapted from Janet Warren’s Feast of Scotland. Serves 8

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

organic chicken with giblets
sea salt or Kosher salt
leeks
rice
optional: prunes

washing leeks for Cock a leekie soup — Wash the leeks well.

Directions to Make Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Boil the chicken and giblets in water with about some salt, for about 1.5 hours, skimming as needed.

Remove the chicken and strain the broth. (Use the chicken for another recipe, like green chicken enchiladas. or white chicken chili.) Put the broth back into the pot, add the rice and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the leeks and simmer until the rice and leeks are ready. Check for seasoning and add salt, bouillon and pepper as needed.