Oatmeal — a spoonful of this hearty and filling grain gives you just the pick-me-up to get a busy day going. Sure, there have been some trends now and then, like savory oatmeal, but for the most part, oatmeal is sequestered in the morning. That breakfast-food stereotype is going to change with this traditional Scottish dinner-time soup.
Scotland has a very finicky climate — with lots of humidity and little sunlight, many traditional agricultural grains cannot grow. While oats were used in the Roman Era, they were seldom used for human consumption however by the Medieval Era, things changed.
Oats were amongst the hearty grains that could withstand such a harsh environment of Scotland. Unlike other grains, oats had special perks too. Oat’s plague-resistant properties bolstered oats’ agricultural popularity. Processing oats — peeling, steaming, and flattening — into oatmeal was a much easier task than gain-like spelt. These three factors are what pushed oatmeal’s rise, especially with Scotland’s lower classes. Leaning on oats for the foundational culinary carb led to a flourishing of oat-based dishes. And this soup was one of them.
YouTuber The Wee Larder goes through the step-by-step process of making this warming soup with classic Scottish ingredients. Just like the Cock-a-Leekie soup, this chicken and oat soup uses staple ingredients to get the job of dinner done.
To start, you need a small roasting chicken or some bone-in chicken cuts. Having bones for the soup develops the broth with a deep and complex flavor. In three to four liters of water, put the chicken into the pot, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Every so often skim the top of the broth to remove any impurities.
Next comes Scotland’s mirepoix — leeks, onions, and carrots — which add that crucial aromatic base. Follow this addition by adding three to six tablespoons of Scottish oatmeal. The more oatmeal you add, the thicker the soup will become.
Simmer the soup away until the vegetables soften and the oats cook through. At this point you can remove the chicken and pick off the meat, returning the chopped-up pieces to the pot.
Seasoning with simple salt and pepper and garnishing with fresh parsley are the only remaining ingredients you need to add to this soup. The leftovers will certainly thicken overnight, so when you reheat the soup, you may have to add a bit of water or broth to loosen it up.
To get all of the recipe’s details, watch the video below!