Scotch Broth

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!

This slimming friendly Scotch Broth makes a super easy lunch or dinner and is perfect for calorie counting or plans like Weight Watchers.

As much as we love summer, we also love when the weather starts to get a bit cooler and the nights get longer, as this means it’s time to start thinking about those all important slow cooker recipes. This Scotch Broth is super easy to prepare as you can just chuck it in the slow cooker and forget about it until you’re ready.

This recipe is perfect if you’re out all day and want something filling and warming ready for when you come in after work.

In fact the hardest part of this Scotch Broth recipe is blending a couple of ladles full to thicken the broth slightly!

What diets is this Scotch Broth suitable for?

This Scotch Broth recipe is suitable for dairy free diets.

Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.

Do you need any special ingredients to make Scotch Broth?

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If you haven’t got a slow cooker you can still make this in a pan on the stove, or you could head over to Amazon to pick one up.

The Instant Pot

What can I say about the Instant Pot? It’s like a slow cooker/pressure cooker hybrid, and it’s probably one of our favourite, and most used kitchen gadgets.

It can cook recipes like this Scotch Broth in about 30 minutes.

How many Calories are in this Scotch Broth?

There are 408 Calories per portion in this Scotch Broth, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence category.

To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment.

This Scotch Broth is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.

Scotch Broth

This slimming friendly Scotch Broth makes a super easy lunch or dinner, it’s perfect for calorie counting or plans like Weight Watchers.
  • Prep Time
    5 MINS
  • Cook Time
    5 HR
  • KCals 408
  • Carbs 39G
  • WW Points:
  • 10 Green
  • 10 Blue
  • 8 Purple

Ingredients

  • 75 g pearl barley
  • 400 g diced lamb
  • 2 ltr boiling water
  • 3 stock cubes lamb, veg or chicken (or a combination of all 3)
  • 2 onions diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1/4 swede diced
  • 1 stick celery chopped
  • 2 potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
  • sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

Please do not screenshot this. Recipes are updated often

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the stock cubes in the boiling water.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and pour in the stock.
  3. Mix well then cook for 4-5 hours on high.
  4. When all the veg is cooked and the barley is tender, remove a couple of ladles of veg and stock then blitz it in a food processor until it's smooth.
  5. Add this back into the soup and stir. This will thicken it slightly.
  6. Leave it to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve

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17 comments

See what others have to say

Jenny IrvineThursday 13th January 2022

What is your portion size when it comes to soup? I can’t work out the carbs for my diabetic step son without knowing the portion size

Reply

    HollyFriday 14th January 2022

    hey Jenny, We work out our recipes on the serving size not by weight. To work out your own weight of a serving you would need to make the finished dish and divide servings, as the weight will vary due to variation of ingredients and water content it’s not something we can do as an exact measure. If you scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page on the website there is a little arrow by servings and you can alter up or down to serve more or less people. Hope that helps!

    Reply

      Kate IrvineSunday 15th October 2023

      I am Diabetic Type 2 and also on a diet. When I make anything like this I weigh and count the total calories, carbs, sugar, etc. When I put everything into tubs for the freezer I divide the total calories, etc., by the number of portions and write the details per portion on a label on the container.

NicholaTuesday 7th April 2020

Does slow cooker have to be high or low?

Reply

    Steve CowderoyWednesday 13th May 2020

    Hi Nicola, thanks for getting in touch with us, I would set this to high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7. Hope this helps

    Reply

Lisa xMonday 14th January 2019

What changes to ingredients would I make if I use chicken? Or what else can I add?

Reply

ChristineTuesday 28th August 2018

Could the lamb be replaced with a different meat

Reply

    Donna MackaySaturday 12th September 2020

    Yes, in fact you don’t have to put the meat in. I grew up with this and you would cook your meat joint in the soup. Have a plate of soup and then serve meat with potatoes.

    Reply

MandySaturday 7th April 2018

Do you think this could be cooked in an Instant Pot?

Reply

StephanieThursday 29th March 2018

It doesn’t state the setting….low for 4-5hours or High for 4-5hours

Reply

Pat ThompsonFriday 16th February 2018

I absolutely love this broth

Reply

Maria FairminerTuesday 24th January 2017

Could I use soup mix instead of the pearl barley ?

Reply

    KateTuesday 24th January 2017

    Hi Maria
    Yes you can 🙂

    Reply

KateWednesday 11th January 2017

We generally cook it on medium, so it’s just simmering not boiling rapidly

Reply

Brenda NICHOLSONWednesday 11th January 2017

Low or it takes the taste out if not simmered

Reply

AnneSaturday 7th January 2017

I’d think low

Reply

AlexSunday 18th September 2016

Hi. Would you need to cook this on low, medium or high. Thanks

Reply

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