Cock-a-leekie Soup

Cock-a-leekie Soup? Can that be right? Sure is. Very right indeed.

It’s true what they say about chicken soup. It’s food for the soul, can make any bruise better, any bad day alright.   It’s like a big hug in a bowl.  I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where everything was from scratch, including chicken soup (I’m not even sure that I knew canned broth existed until high school).  We ate ours with long noodles that splashed broth in our faces when we slurped too fast.  I love the smell of it: a bubbling pot of chicken soup seems to fill the whole the house with warmth. So, when my Scottish friend suggested I make Cock-a-leekie Soup, I was excited to try it since it was familiar, but not. A twist on what I consider traditional chicken soup, it is obviously, as you can tell by the name, chock full of leeks and a few other surprises.  And as I walked home from work after what seemed like the longest day, trudging through the sideways rain with my useless umbrella, my plan to make cock-a-leekie soup came just at the right time.

It’s really easy, but talk about variations!  My friend’s mom didn’t have a tried-and-true recipe, and when I looked for one, I couldn’t decide which one to make: Some had only leeks, while some had carrots, parsnips and celery. Some had cream. Some had curry powder.  But here I’m offering up my own, sticking with the idea that it’s supposed to be simple, comforting and clean.

IMO, best served with Brown Bread.