This tasty Scotch broth soup recipe is loaded with vegetables, fall off the bone slow cooked lamb shanks, and tender cooked barley.
Season the lamb shanks well on all sides with salt and pepper.
Next, add some oil to a large pot or rondeau over high heat until it begins to smoke.
Place in the lamb shanks and sear them until golden brown on all sides.
Pour in 96 ouncers of stock, season with salt and pepper, and braise over medium-low heat for 3 hours or until the lamb becomes very tender and falls off the bone.
In the meantime, prepare the barley and set it aside.
Next, prepare the split peas and set them aside as well.
Add some oil to a separate large pot over medium heat and cook the leeks and onions until browned, which takes about 20 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which usually takes about 1 minute.
Add in the vegetables and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes over low heat to medium heat.
Remove the lamb shanks and chop into small pieces. This should be very easy since it will be so tender.
Add the lamb along with the braising liquid to the pot of vegetables. You may need to add the remaining 32 ounces of stock.
Cook over low to medium heat until the vegetables are tender, which takes about 25 minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.
Serve the soup by adding it to a serving bowl and spoon in the desired amount of barley and split peas.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this picadillo up to 1 day ahead of time; just follow the reheating instructions below.How to Store: You can store this Scotch Broth covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. This will also freeze covered for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating and serving. How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of soup to a medium-sized saucepot and cook over low heat until hot. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.You can use other cuts of lamb such as leg, ground, or loin.If you do not have cabbage, you can use kale.Other things you can add to the soup are parsnips or rutabaga.