Cock-a-leekie is one of those proper, honest soups. It’s old-school Scottish comfort food, but don’t let that put you off — this thing is all about deep flavour, simplicity, and letting good ingredients do the heavy lifting.
At its heart, you’ve got beautiful chicken, slowly simmered until it’s tender and juicy, giving you a broth that’s golden, rich, and totally nourishing. Mind you it could be made from pheasant or even beef but poultry is always the go to meat here. By the way, the rude word cock refers to the family rooster in Scotland! Then come the leeks — loads of them — sweet, soft, and silky, melting into the soup and giving it that lovely rounded flavour. This isn’t a shouty soup; it’s gentle, warming, and confident.
Traditionally, people throw in a few prunes, which sounds a bit mad, but trust me — they add this subtle sweetness that balances the savoury chicken brilliantly. You don’t end up with “fruity soup”, you just get depth. It’s clever, old wisdom cooking.
The magic is in taking your time. Start cold, bring it up slowly, skim it properly — that’s how you get a clean, beautiful broth. No shortcuts. Finish it with a handful of fresh parsley, a crack of black pepper, and suddenly you’ve got something that feels both rustic and special.
This is the kind of dish that says: slow down, grab a spoon, and look after yourself. Serve it with some proper bread for dunking, maybe a knob of butter melting in, and you’re laughing.
Simple. Seasonal. Soul-food.
That’s cock-a-leekie.
Cock-a-Leekie Soup (Serves 4–6)
Equipment
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Large heavy-bottomed stockpot or soup pot (5–6 L capacity)
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Sharp chef’s knife
Ingredients
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1 whole chicken (about 1.5–1.7 kg), jointed
or 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks -
3 large leeks (about 600–700 g), well washed
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2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
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1 small onion, peeled and halved
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1 bay leaf
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6–8 black peppercorns
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1 small bunch fresh parsley (stalks and leaves separated)
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1.5–2 litres cold water or light chicken stock
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1 tsp salt (to taste)
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Traditional optional addition
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6–8 prunes, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes (added near the end)
Preparation
Prep Time
20–25 minutes
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Prepare the leeks
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Trim off the dark green tops and root ends.
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Slice the white and pale green parts into 1 cm rounds.
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Wash thoroughly to remove grit; drain well.
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Prepare aromatics
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Slice carrots.
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Separate parsley leaves from stalks; reserve leaves for garnish.
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Prepare chicken
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If using a whole chicken, joint it into portions.
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Cooking
Cooking Time
1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
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Make the broth (60 minutes)
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Place chicken, onion, carrots, parsley stalks, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt into the pot.
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Add cold water or stock until the chicken is just covered.
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Bring slowly to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
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Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
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Simmer uncovered for about 60 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
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Strain and shred (10 minutes)
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Remove chicken pieces and set aside.
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Strain the broth; discard solids except carrots if desired.
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When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken and shred meat.
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Add leeks (15–20 minutes)
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Return broth to the pot and bring back to a gentle simmer.
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Add sliced leeks and carrots (if kept).
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Simmer until leeks are soft but not mushy.
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Finish the soup (10 minutes)
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Return shredded chicken to the pot.
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Add soaked prunes if using.
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Simmer gently for another 5–10 minutes.
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Taste and adjust seasoning.
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To Serve
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Ladle into warm bowls.
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Garnish with chopped parsley.
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Traditionally served with crusty bread or oatcakes.
Nutritional Information (Approximate, per serving – based on 5 servings, without prunes)
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Energy: 320 kcal
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Protein: 32 g
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Fat: 18 g
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Saturated fat: 5 g
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Carbohydrates: 10 g
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Sugars: 4 g
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Fibre: 2 g
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Salt: 0.8 g
With prunes, add approximately:
+40 kcal, +10 g carbohydrates per serving.
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