Reestit Mutton Soup

Name: Reestit Mutton Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 750 g reestit mutton; 2.5 l cold water; 75 g yellow split peas; 400 g tatties; 300 g neep; 200 g Carrots; 150 g brown onion; 150 g white cabbage; 1 tsp Black pepper

A rich, warming Shetland broth made from salted, dried reestit mutton simmered with hearty tatties, neeps, and sweet cabbage.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Orkney and Shetland

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 120 min
Total: 140 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

750 g reestit mutton — Shetland salted and air-dried mutton on the bone
2½ l cold water — for simmering
75 g yellow split peas — rinsed
400 g tatties — potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
300 g neep — swede, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
200 g Carrots — peeled and sliced
150 g brown onion — finely diced
150 g white cabbage — thickly shredded
1 tsp Black pepper — coarsely ground

Equipment

•Large stockpot
•Chef's knife
•Chopping board
•Slotted spoon
•Ladle

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 410 kcal
fat: 15 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 7 g
protein: 32 g
calories: 410 kcal

Instructions

1
Soak the reestit mutton in a large bowl of cold water overnight to draw out excess salt.
2
Drain the soaked mutton and place it into a large stockpot.
3
Pour in 2.5 litres of fresh cold water and place the pot over medium-high heat on the hob.
4
Bring the liquid to the boil, then skim away any grey foam from the surface.
5
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 90 minutes until the meat is tender.
6
Lift the mutton out onto a chopping board and leave it to cool slightly.
7
Add the yellow split peas, tatties (potatoes), neep (swede), carrots, and onion to the simmering broth.
8
Strip the meat from the mutton bones, cut it into bite-sized chunks, and discard the bones.
9
Return the chopped mutton to the pot and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
10
Stir in the shredded cabbage and cook for a final 10 minutes until all vegetables are soft.
11
Season generously with freshly cracked black pepper before ladling into warm bowls.

Chef's tips

Always soak the mutton overnight; otherwise, the finished broth will be intensely salty. Do not add any table salt during cooking until you have tasted the finished soup. If the broth still tastes too salty after simmering, simply ladle out some liquid and top up with fresh boiling water.