Since we are not a huge company, our mission is to fill our few pages with interesting and relevant items. We came up with some good ideas but then I suggested adding a recipe section. This was not a totally off the wall suggestion, one of my favourite recipes was taken from a company newsletter when I worked for my first real job in Scotland - over 20 years ago. A recipe I still use! This suggestion was welcomed and then I suggested soup; great idea for this time of year. What I had not factored on was the next suggestion to me, which was for me to make Haggis Soup and share that recipe. Haggis Soup? Seriously?
So I did! I located a few recipes online, one was even from a Texas blog written by an expat Scottish person. I must admit I was surprised though, I thought you could not purchase Haggis in the US? So I don't think I will link that blog here, just in case I draw attention to something! In the picture, it was in a can, so it should be ok, but not going to risk it!
I found a very simple sounding recipe on BBC Food Recipes. Having never even owned a Haggis before, I was not sure how to proceed. This recipe says to add the Haggis at almost the end of the process and boil/simmer for 5 minutes. The packaging on the Haggis says to either boil for 45 minutes, microwave for 5 or bake in the oven, I don't have the packaging in front of me and I can't remember the timing for that. However, I read this only at the time that I should have put the Haggis in the soup for 5 minutes! So I just boiled/simmered the actual soup after adding the Haggis for 45 minutes! Soup is soup, extra cooking time is not going to hurt it, in my opinion!
The soup is actually delicious, tastes just like a liquid Burns Supper. But who wants to drink a Burns Supper? It was too rich for me! I often take soup to my in-laws and they were the happy recipients of what was left of this experiment. I have not yet heard if they enjoyed it or not, but will add that when I hear!
I also doubled this recipe, who makes soup for one? And to be honest, it ended up making about 3 - 4 bowls of soup in my doubled version! Recipe with no photos or comments follows at the end.
Haggis Soup
1 tbsp oil
½ leek, diced
½ potato, peeled and diced
¼ swede, peeled and diced
¾pint chicken stock (1 1/2 cups)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
85g-110g/3-4 oz haggis (The haggis I bought weighted a pound so I had to cut the very small amount suggested)
Just a note about what a Swede is, I had no idea when I moved to Scotland there there are turnips and swedes and these terms can be interchangeable - or not! There are huge yellow turnips, which is what is commonly referred to as "Swede" and there are little white turnips that look more like what I grew up with. And then, there is the Rutabaga! This, in my opinion, is actually what a Swede would be to an American. But I will never be certain! Let me correct that, I have only heard the term Rutabaga in the US, mainly the Midwest - and once in a pub quiz here in Scotland!
Preparation method
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the leek, potato and swede for a few minutes, to soften. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Remove from the heat and spoon into a soup bowl to serve.
Less than 30 mins
preparation time
10 to 30 mins
cooking time (unless you make the decision I made to really overcook everything because you didn't know how to cook haggis to begin with!)
I think this would be a great way to use leftover Haggis, if there ever is such a thing!
Serves 1
This is a Nick Nairn recipe from Ready, Steady, Cook and was found on http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/haggissoup_82603
“Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.”
Haggis Soup
Ingredients1 tbsp oil
½ leek, diced
½ potato, peeled and diced
¼ swede, peeled and diced
¾pint chicken stock (1 1/2 cups)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
85g-110g/3-4 oz haggis (The haggis I bought weighted a pound so I had to cut the very small amount
suggested)
Preparation method
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the leek, potato and swede for a few minutes, to soften. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the haggis and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the heat and spoon into a soup bowl to serve.
Less than 30 mins
preparation time
10 to 30 mins
cooking time
Serves 1
This is a Nick Nairn recipe from Ready, Steady, Cook and was found on http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/haggissoup_82603
