Friday 20 March 2015

Vegetarian Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup Recipe

A Simple Vegetarian Equivalent to a Classic Scottish Soup

Vegetarian cock-a-leekie soup sees the chicken replaced with potatoes

I realise of course that the two principal ingredients of cock-a-leekie soup are chicken and leeks, so the idea of creating a vegetarian version may seem a little bit crazy. After all, how can it still be cock-a-leekie without one of the main ingredients? The reality is however that vegetarianism is significantly on the increase in today's world and it was after I shared a traditonal cock-a-leekie soup recipe on this blog a few months back that I gave thought to how I could create a vegetarian version. The obvious answer was to simply miss out the chicken but of course I had to replace it with something. Keeping it simple, I opted for potato and was delighted with the final result.
 
Baby potatoes and leek for vegetarian cock-a-leekie soup

Ingredients (Serves 6)

3 pints fresh vegetable stock
Stem only of one large leek
8 to 10 medium baby potatoes
Salt and pepper
6 ounces pitted soft prunes
Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Chopped potatoes and sliced leek for soup

Directions

Wash the leek and potatoes thoroughly. Slice the leek in to discs about quarter of an inch thick. Quarter the unpeeled potatoes.

Potatoes and leek are added to vegetable stock

Pour the vegetable stock in to a soup pot. Add the leek and potatoes and put the pot on to a high heat to reach a simmer. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer for about twenty minutes or until the potato pieces are just softened.

Prunes are an essential ingredient in authentic cock-a-leekie soup

Prunes genuinely are an ingredient in traditional cock-a-leekie soup - this is not some strange addition I have devised! When the soup has been simmering for about fifteen minutes, add the prunes and stir. The prunes require only to be heated through.

Prunes added to cock-a-leekie soup

Taste the soup and season as required. Ladle in to bowls and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Vegetarian cock-a-leekie soup ladled in to serving bowl

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