Scotch broth is a traditional, hearty Scottish soup, and you’ll now find it made all around the world. It isn’t usually spicy, but this version brings it to life with a couple of red chilies, plus bacon in place of the usual lamb.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Salty bacon and sweet carrot in a light chicken broth, with gentle chili warmth and nutty, chewy barley. |
| Primary heat source | Two red chilies, finely chopped. Red jalapeños work well. |
| Heat level | Mild to medium. A pair of red jalapeños (2,500 to 8,000 SHU each) get spread across six servings of soup. |
| Texture | Tender diced vegetables and chewy pearl barley in a brothy soup. |
| Best uses | A cold-weather dinner or lunch, with crusty bread and butter. |
| Customization ideas | Lamb for a more traditional pot, chorizo for spicier meat, black pepper for extra heat, or late-added cabbage and leeks. |
| Before you start | Dice the bacon, onion, carrots and potato small, then let the soup simmer for 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings. |
Flavor notes
Scotch broth started out as a farmhouse soup made with stewing cuts of lamb, mutton or beef, along with barley, root vegetables and often dried split peas or lentils. Here, bacon takes the meat’s place, and it’s the change that matters most. Its saltiness gives the chili heat something to play against, and a few slices are plenty for a pot this size.
What’s Irish bacon, the kind that’s called for here? It’s back bacon, cut from the loin, and it’s much leaner than the streaky bacon most Americans buy.
As for the red chilies, use whichever type suits your heat tolerance. Red jalapeños are a good call, since they’re at the lower end of medium heat. You still get that bright jalapeño bite, with a little extra sweetness from the longer time they’ve spent ripening.
Then there’s the pearl barley, a Scotch broth staple, which gives the broth body and a pleasant chew, and it’s what turns a light chicken broth into something closer to a meal.
Adaptation ideas
Want to make it your own? Here are a few directions you could take it:
- Milder: Scrape the seeds and white membranes out of the chilies, or use just one. Green jalapeños work too if you can’t find red, and here are some other red jalapeño substitutes.
- A little hotter: Rather than adding more chilies or chili powder, stir in a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. It suits the bacon and barley better than cayenne or red pepper flakes, and it brings a different kind of heat.
- Spicier meat: Swap the bacon for spicy chorizo, which works just as well.
- More traditional: Use diced lamb from a stewing cut in place of the bacon, and give the soup a longer simmer so the meat turns tender.
- Greener: Stir in some shredded cabbage or sliced leek a few minutes before serving, as many traditional versions do.
Serving ideas
How should you serve it? The card suggests crusty bread and butter, and it’s hard to beat. A few other ideas:
- With crusty bread: Butter it thickly and dunk it in.
- With a grilled cheese: Cut it into strips for dipping and make it a soup-and-sandwich supper.
- With oatcakes: For a Scottish touch on the side.
- In a mug: Pour it into a mug or a thermos for an easy lunch.
Storage notes
After it cools, the soup lasts 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Want to freeze some? FoodSafety.gov gives soups and stews with meat 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
Expect it to be thicker the next day, because the barley keeps soaking up broth as it stands. So add a splash of broth or water while it reheats until it’s the way you like it.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Chipotle Carrot Soup: That mix of smoky and earthy sweet is such a delicious pairing.
- Thai Pumpkin Soup: This is not your typical “fall in a bowl” fare. It’s bold, with red curry paste and coconut milk.
- Mexican Meatball Soup: Eats like a meal. Seriously.
A globe-spanning collection of 100 bold, fiery recipes — soups, fiery mains, curries, handhelds, snacks, sauces, even brunch — drawn from over a decade of PepperScale favorites.
Wicked Wednesday subscribers save 15% — join free.
Spicy Scotch Broth Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices Irish bacon back bacon, also sold as British bacon or rashers
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots peeled
- 1 large potato
- 2 red chilies Red jalapeños work well, but any red chili pepper will do
- 1/4 cup pearl barley
- 5 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Place a large soup pan over medium heat.
- Cut the bacon into small cubes, add them to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Finely chop the chili peppers and add to the bacon and stir.
- Cut the onion, carrots, and potato into small cubes and add to the soup pan. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables and add the pearl barley to the soup. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.
- Taste the soup and add salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Serve with some crusty bread and butter. Enjoy!
