Highland Root Vegetable Soup
A thick, hearty Scottish soup packed with slow-simmered winter root vegetables, pearl barley, and fresh herbs. Perfect for warming up on a frosty day.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 245 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based pot
- •Chopping board
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- fat
- 6 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 8 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 245 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat on the hob.
- 2
Add the chopped onion and sliced leeks with a pinch of salt.
- 3
Gently sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent without browning.
- 4
Tip in the diced neeps (swede), turnip, carrots, and tatties (potatoes).
- 5
Stir well to coat all the vegetables in the melted butter.
- 6
Add the rinsed pearl barley, bay leaves, and fresh thyme sprigs.
- 7
Pour over the hot vegetable stock and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- 8
Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 40 minutes.
- 9
Uncover and gently crush a few potato cubes against the pot wall to thicken the soup.
- 10
Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes until the barley is tender.
- 11
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
- 12
Stir through the chopped parsley and ladle into warm soup bowls.
Chef's tips
Rinse pearl barley thoroughly under cold running water before cooking to remove surface dust and excess starch. If the soup becomes too thick as the barley expands, add a splash of boiling water or extra stock.
Ingredient substitutions
- pearl barley → traditional Scottish broth mix or short-grain brown rice for a gluten-free version
- Scottish salted butter → rapeseed oil to make the recipe fully vegan and dairy-free
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring in a splash of water if the broth has thickened.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup too vigorously, which can scorch the barley on the bottom of the pot.
- •Cutting the root vegetables into uneven pieces, causing some to dissolve while others remain hard.
Serving suggestions
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