Our easy chicken leek soup recipe makes a speedy version of the Scottish cock-a-leekie soup that features on menus at Burns Suppers, dinners to celebrate the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns. A traditional cock-a-leekie soup recipe calls for a whole chicken, but adding shredded poached chicken or rotisserie chicken saves time without sacrificing flavour.
While a haggis is the star of the traditional Scottish meal typically served at a Burns Supper, the first course is usually soup, either a Cullen skink soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes, onions, and leeks, named after the town of Cullen on the coast of northeast Scotland, or cock-a-leekie, a traditional Scottish chicken leek soup.
My chicken leek soup recipe makes a quick and easy take on a classic cock-a-leekie soup which is why I’m just calling it a chicken leek soup. A traditional cock-a-leekie recipe calls for a whole chicken, but using pulled poached chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken leftovers will save you time without sacrificing flavour.
You’ll love this chicken leek soup if you’re a lover of chicken soups. And if you are, do try some of our best chicken soup recipes, which include recipes for chicken noodle soups, spicy chicken soups, chicken rice soups, and more; everything from the Burmese chicken coconut noodle soup, ohn no khao swe, to hearty Russian soups, such as rassolnik, a barley pickle soup with chicken.
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Chicken Leek Soup Recipe for Easy Cock-a-Leekie Soup for a Burns Night Supper
Before I tell you more about this chicken leek soup recipe for an easy cock-a-leekie soup I wanted to tell you more about Burns Night. Experiencing a Burns Night Supper with the locals in Edinburgh became one of our fondest memories of our yearlong global grand tour dedicated to slow, local and experiential travel that launched Grantourismo 15 years ago.
Held all over Scotland and in the Scottish diaspora on Burns Day on 25 January, the birthday of beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns, a Burns Supper is a celebration of Rabbie Burns’ life and poetry, and features storytelling, poetry, bagpipes, speeches, and feasting.
The most important speech at a Burns Supper is the Address to the Haggis, Scotland’s national dish of haggis, neeps and tatties (translation: turnip mash and potato mash), as the haggis is carried around the dining room on a platter and presented to guests before being served. A toast of Scotland’s famous malt whisky is made to the haggis.
If you’re not familiar with the haggis, it’s essentially a big, fat, humble sausage that contains finely chopped sheep’s heart, liver and lungs (hence the ‘humble’ descriptor), along with spices, onions, and some secret ingredients that set each haggis maker apart.
During our two week stay in Edinburgh back in 2010, Terence made venison loin, haggis and roasted vegetables for a wee dinner party he cooked up in our elegant Edinburgh apartment rental, for a lighter, elegant take on the hearty traditional haggis, neeps and tatties historically served at a Burns Dinner.
Terence cooked a Cullen skink soup for the first course, partly because Donald Reid, a food and drink editor of a local magazine, who we interviewed about Edinburgh’s food scene, said Cullen skink was the dish to make if settling into an Edinburgh holiday rental and you have a kitchen.
And partly because it showcases Edinburgh’s fantastic local seafood and because it’s just so versatile: you could make a big bowl of the rich soup for a relaxed meal at home, a smaller portion for a multi-course dinner, or serve it in shot glasses as an amuse bouche for a dinner party.
As we didn’t have time to cook cock-a-leekie in Edinburgh, I thought I’d share my speedy chicken leek soup recipe for a quick and easy take on cock-a-leekie for Burns Night if you’re holding a Burns Supper. And if you are, if you’re looking for dessert, see my recipe for cranachan, a sweet dish of berries, cream, oats, honey and whisky.
Tips to Making this Chicken Leek Soup Recipe for Easy Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Just a few tips to making this speedy chicken leek soup recipe for an easy cock-a-leekie soup for Burns Night and beyond, as it couldn’t be easier.
First, to a large soup pot over medium heat, you’ll add the olive oil, diced bacon, carrot, celery and leek slices, and sauté them for 5 minutes or so.
Next, you’ll pour in the wine, stirring the vegetables as the wine evaporates, then add the bay leaves and thyme, shredded chicken, pitted prunes, enough water to cover the lot, and cook it until it’s hot.
When the broth is bubbling away, taste the chicken leek soup, season it to your taste, then reduce the heat to simmer until you’re ready to serve it then ladle the broth into bowls.
To Serve
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle on some good quality extra virgin olive oil, if you like, and serve with crusty sourdough bread, and dishes of pitted prunes and chopped celery leaves so guests can customise their cock-a-leekie to their liking. Enjoy!
Chicken Leek Soup Recipe for Easy Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g bacon - finely chopped
- 3 carrots - trimmed and sliced
- 3 celery sticks - sliced, save the celery leaves
- 2 leeks - sliced
- ½ cup white wine - optional
- 1 tsp dried thyme - or fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 250 g shredded chicken - poached chicken or rotisserie chicken leftovers
- 16 prunes - pitted
Instructions
- To a large soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, diced bacon, carrot, celery and leek slices, and sauté for 5 minutes or so.
- Pour in the wine, stirring the vegetables as it evaporates, then add the bay leaves and thyme, shredded chicken, pitted prunes, enough water to cover the lot, and cook until hot.
- Taste the soup, season to taste, reduce the heat to simmer until you’re ready to serve then ladle the soup into bowls.
- Serve with crusty sourdough, dishes of pitted prunes and celery leaves, and salt and pepper so guests can customise their cock-a-leekie to their liking.
Notes
Nutrition
Please do let us know in the comments below if you make this speedy chicken leek soup recipe for a quick and easy cock-a-leekie soup for Burns Night and beyond. We love hearing how our recipes turn out for you and welcome feedback and tips.
