Vegan Traditional Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup or more aptly named Tofu-A-Leekie!, is a quick, super-simple, budget-friendly recipe perfect for tasty, every-day, homely, hearty one-pot meals. This soup is considered Scotland's National Soup and has been around since at least the 16th Century. Barley or rice is a traditional ingredient but for gluten-free cock-a-leekie go with rice.
Vegan Cock-a-leekie Soup is perfect for everyday easy meals, but also ideal to enjoy with a Robert Burns Suppers [25th January], St Andrews Day feasts [ 30th November], Hogmanay [New Years Eve] and New Years Day [January 1st]. Or during Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight held each year in September.
History of cock-a-leekie soup
Cock-a-leekie soup originates all the way back to 16th century Scotland. Although it is claimed that cock-a-leekie soup can be traced to French origins as when the French recipe for chicken and onion soup found its way over to Scotland, the Scots decided leeks were a better choice to replace the onion.
Traditionally, Cock-a-leekie soup would be prepared with an old cockerel which would be deemed perfect for soup as it would need lots of simmering to tenderize. It is called cock-a-leekie because the cock refers to the cockerel and the leekie refers to the leeks! Historically, cock-a-leekie soup was also dished up during New Years Day as it was thought to provide good fortune for the coming year.
Classic recipes for this soup often make use of budget-friendly pearl barley, rice, or oatmeal as a means to thicken the broth. And surprisingly chopped prunes, added to each bowl or to the soup pot are a popular addition that provide sweetness and an interesting texture. Although the prunes are not to everyone's tastes!
Although, its regarded as Scotland's National Soup other parts of Britain do have their own versions of cock-a-leekie soup including Wales and the West Country (south-western England). For example the Traditional Welsh Cawl Soup which usually contains lamb and leeks but some versions include chicken, and the classic chicken and leek soup hailing from the West Country, England, - which features chicken and leeks in a creamy broth.
Vegan Tofu-A-Leekie Soup
Vegan cock-a-leekie soup is based on the traditional cock-a-leekie soup but is a much kinder adaptation. Tofu replaces the chicken and as a result evolves the name to tofu-a-leekie!
If your not too keen on tofu that's not a problem as any vegan meat-free chunks can be subbed, such as Quorn vegan pieces which are especially tasty and add lots of flavour to the broth.
Alternatively a can of white creamy beans are also delicious with this soup. Cannellini, haricot [navy beans], or butter beans are good choices. Or go with some fresh broad beans which are also a traditional Scottish ingredient that go back to medieval times. We like to use frozen broad beans as they can be just chucked into the pot!
To thicken the broth this recipe uses pearl barley. Being Scottish I grew up eating this grain and so I love adding it to recipes. Although, if preferred, the barley can be subbed out for ¼ cup (40-50 grams) of pinhead oatmeal [steel-cut oatmeal] or about ½ cup (100 grams) of rice. Both of these ingredients have been used in Scottish cooking for centuries.
However, if you require a gluten-free soup then forego the barley or oatmeal. Barley is not considered gluten-free even though it is low in gluten. And oatmeal, unless certified gluten-free, is often prepared in a factory along with gluten ingredients so may not be safe for gluten-free meals. Although, there are gluten-free oatmeal and porridge oats available.
Our vegan cock-a-leekie or tofu-a-leekie soup is pleasantly flavoured with mixed dried herbs, dried thyme or fresh thyme, bay leaves and a chicken flavoured vegetable stock. The result is a satisfying delicious broth perfect for dunking a chunky piece of crusty bread of a crisp oatcake.
To finish, sliced spring onions [green onions] are scattered across each serving, and a few optional teaspoons of nutritional yeast flakes adds extra flavour dimensions and savouriness.
Vegan cock-a-leekie is the perfect family one-pot meal that can be prepared in advance for extra quick meat-free lunches and dinners. Its a regular with our Scottish family.
Vegan chicken soup
Cock-a-leekie is a variation of the classic chicken soup or broth so our vegan adaptation is also a variation of vegan 'chicken' soup! For more vegan no-chicken soups have a look at our Vegan 'chicken' Noodle Soup and our Vegan Chinese 'chicken' and Sweetcorn Soup. Both are equally delicious and perfect for those days when your feeling under-the-weather or just need a nice warming veggie soup.
How to prepare vegan cock-a-leekie
As this is an no-oil soup there is no need to saute or sweat the veggies as the plant-based ingredients provide all the flavours while allowing the fresh ingredients to shine.
First prepare the leeks, onions, and tofu and gather all the ingredients - pearl barley, bay leaf, dried mixed herbs, dried or fresh thyme, and vegetable stock.
Place the barley, bay leaf, dried mixed herbs, dried or fresh thyme, and onion into the soup pot.
Pour over the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil.
Place a lid askew over the pot and cook for 30 minutes.
Next, add the tofu and leeks and cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid off the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle the sliced spring onions over each serving. A few teaspoons of nutritional yeast flakes stirred through each bowl is a tasty addition, and a nice bread roll or bun, or a few crisp oatcakes are the perfect accompaniment.
Recipe notes and FAQ's
Storing
Leftovers can be stored, within a covered container, in the fridge for 3 days. Or frozen for 2-3 months within a freezer safe container. Thaw within the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating
Leftovers can be reheated by bringing to a simmer and heating for 3-4 minutes until the soup is piping hot. Extra vegetable stock will likely need to be added as the barley will continue to soak up the liquid as its stored.
Yes. It is easy to prepare this soup as gluten-free. Simply ensure that your vegetable stock is gluten-free and replace the barley with a gluten-free grain such as rice. If using brown rice it may need a longer cooking time.
A wedge of crusty bread such as deliciously rustic Australian Damper Bread or Irish Soda Bread [no-oil Wheaten bread], or a few crispy Traditional Scottish Oatcakes and for a no-oil oatcake our crunchy Scottish Cheesy Vegan Oatcakes are the ideal accompaniment to a hot bowl of wholesome soup. Another nice side are these 3 Ingredient Quick Vegan Dinner Rolls.
Crackers are also a tasty side so go for vegan-friendly saltines, rye crisp breads, rice cakes, etc. Slices of vegan cheese and salad vegetables are also a nice addition.
For a more filling side a vegan grilled cheese toastie sandwich are a classic pairing -toastie and soup. As are a tasty sandwich - soup and sandwiches. We have a few Vegan Sandwich Recipes that are some of our families favourites.
Finally, if you have any of our delicious Vegan Traditional Scottish Skirlie or this Vegan Scottish Haggis left over they are both equally delicious as a garnish sprinkled over any traditional Scottish soup.
As with any recipe it can be adapted to suit your family's needs or contents of your fridge and pantry. A few ideas:
* The tofu can be replaced with vegan meat-free pieces, such as vegan Quorn pieces, rehydrated textured vegetable protein [TVP] sometimes also known as soya chunks, or soya curls. Or use 1-2 cans of drained white beans such as cannellini, haricot [navy beans], or butterbeans. Mushrooms are also a good replacement for tofu.
* Replace the pearl barley with any variety of rice, wheat berries, rye grain, quinoa, or millet. Although cooking times may need adjusting depending on the grain. Leftover cooked grains are perfect as these just need adding for the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat through, but the amount of vegetable stock will need to be reduced as the barley thickens the stock.
* Instead of spring onions [green onions] replace with fresh parsley, chives, or dill.
* The fresh onion can be replaced with dried onion powder or granules - about 1 tablespoon.
* Replace the mixed dried herbs with a few sprigs or a small bunch of fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, oregano, or rosemary, or a mix.
* The dried thyme can be replaced with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
* Add a sprinkle of shredded vegan cheese instead of the optional nutritional yeast flakes.
A traditional addition to cock-a-leekie soup is prunes, which are dried plums, so if you like prunes add a few chopped prunes to each bowl of soup. Fine diced vegetables can be added along with the onion such as diced carrot, celery, or potato. Also some finely chopped kale or cabbage or a similar green vegetable can be added along with the leeks. For garnish a swirl of vegan cream is a nice addition.
The name "Cock-a-Leekie" is quite descriptive of the main ingredients in this traditional Scottish soup. The "cock" part refers to the chicken (originally a rooster or cockerel) that is used as the base for the soup, and "leekie" refers to the leeks that are another main ingredient. The soup was traditionally made with an old cockerel.
The term "Cock-a-Leekie" seems to have been used since at least the 18th century, although the soup itself likely has older origins as it has been a staple of Scottish cuisine for centuries.
For our vegan adaptation we replace the chicken with tofu so in essence the soup can be renamed as 'tofu-a-leekie'!
The best type of tofu for soup is firm or extra-firm tofu which comes as a solid block of tofu that can be easily sliced. Also, you could use smoked tofu which although it does have a much stronger flavour it does work well with soups. Silken tofu is not the best as its texture is very soft and as it blends very easily its more suited for sauces or puddings.
Pressing tofu is generally recommended as it helps to achieve a firmer texture and better flavour absorption, both of which can be particularly useful when you're substituting tofu for chicken in a recipe like vegan Cock-a-Leekie soup.
Many brands of tofu come pre-pressed so there is no need for any pressing - just open the packet and use the tofu as it comes. So do check your package instructions as you may not need to press the tofu. However, here are a few simple ways to press tofu:
1.DIY Method
* Remove the tofu from its packaging and drain the water.
* Place kitchen roll or paper towels around the tofu.
* Place the wrapped tofu on a flat surface like a cutting board or a plate. Put another flat object on top, like another cutting board or another plate.
* Place heavy objects on top of the upper board or plate to apply pressure to the tofu. Canned goods, books, or a cast-iron skillet can work well for this purpose.
* Let it sit for at least 15-30 minutes, although you can leave it longer for a firmer texture. Some people even press it for several hours for an even denser result.
2. Using a Tofu Press
If you find yourself making tofu dishes frequently, you might want to invest in a tofu press. This device is designed to press tofu evenly and makes the process more straightforward:
* Simply place the block of tofu between the plates of the press.
* Follow the manufacturer's instructions to tighten the press, usually by turning screws or knobs.
* Leave the tofu in the press for the recommended amount of time, typically around 15-30 minutes.
3. Quick Method
* If you're in a hurry, you can cut the tofu into smaller pieces and gently press them between paper towels. While not as effective as the above methods, this can still remove some excess moisture.
This can be a good idea as freezing then thawing fresh firm tofu can result in an even meatier firmer chewier textured tofu, that is perfect for soups and many other recipes where a meaty replacement is desired.
Boosting the protein content of your Vegan Cock-a-Leekie Soup can be easily done by adding a few additional ingredients. Consider adding a can of chickpeas, green or brown lentils, butterbeans, cannellini or haricot beans [navy beans]. Also more tofu can be added or some tempeh.
Other ideas include adding in some quinoa as this is a complete protein and would easily up the protein content. Also adding in some meat alternatives such as vegan 'chicken' strips of diced or crumbled vegan sausage can increase the protein. A chopped nut or seed garnish is a good idea - such as chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, flaked almonds, crushed peanuts, cashews, or brazil nuts.
Another idea is to serve the soup along with a protein rich sandwich such as a peanut butter or almond butter sandwich, or our Vegan Coronation 'chicken' Sandwich which is prepared with kidney beans and chickpeas.
Cock-a-leekie is regarded as Scotland's National Soup and some may feel like a vegan adaptation is inappropriate! However, as with all traditional recipes, throughout the centuries they have been adapted and tailored to whatever ingredients have been available and what is affordable.
So given the rise in popularity of vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, and even flexitarian diets, a vegan cock-a-leekie is simply a natural progression.
Besides just because we don't want to eat meat doesn't mean we can't appreciate traditional recipes or get to indulge in traditional favourites that have been cooked or baked that much kinder!
More Vegan Traditional Scottish Soups
Scotland makes some of the best homely soups as they make the best use out of everyday ingredients, are budget-friendly, easy to prepare, and are hearty complete meals-in-a-bowl. Vegan and plant-based adaptations are even better as they usually take less time to cook as there is no-need for long cooking ingredients or making sure the meat has cooked long enough!
Although we do have to make sure that the grains, dried peas, celery and carrots are soft enough!
And besides, meat-free soups have long been a tradition in Scotland as the poorest folks couldn't always afford to add meat to their soup pot so a few veggie ingredients such as oats, barley, dried peas, leeks, turnips [swede], and potatoes once they were introduced, would have been the mainstay of their diet.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
Recipe
Vegan Cock-a-Leekie Soup (Tofu, Barley and Leek Broth)
Equipment
- Large soup-pan with lid
Ingredients
- 300 grams leeks [about 2 medium, sliced into thin rings.]
- 210 grams onion [1 medium, rough chopped]
- 300 grams firm tofu [drained, and gently squeezed to remove excess liquid if necessary, chop into bitesize chunks.]
- 100 grams pearl barley [rinsed and drained]
- 2 litres vegetable stock [Use a vegan chicken flavoured stock if available.]
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme [or replace with a few sprigs of fresh thyme]
Add at the end of cooking, optional
- 125 mililitres vegetable stock
To serve:
- 4 whole spring onions [green onions, scallions, sliced, or replace with parsley, chopped.]
Optional, to serve:
- 8 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes [optional, add 1- 2 teaspoons to each bowl]
Instructions
- Add the vegetable stock, barley, bay leaves, mixed herbs, dried thyme, and onion to a pan. Season with salt and black pepper.100 grams pearl barley, 2 litres vegetable stock, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs, 125 mililitres vegetable stock, 210 grams onion
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid loosely on the saucepan.
- Next, add the tofu and the leeks.Add the extra hot vegetable stock, although if you prefer a thicker soup this can be just left out.Gently boil for 15 minutes with the lid off the pan.300 grams leeks, 300 grams firm tofu
- Remove the bay leaves.Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Scatter the spring onions over each serving or add to the soup pan before ladling soup into bowls.Optional: sprinkle nutritional yeast flakes over each bowl, or stir it through the pot of soup.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
- If preferred sauté the onions in one tablespoon of oil or vegan butter (or 125ml / ½ cup veggie stock) over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes, before continuing with the recipe.
- Use a vegan chicken flavour stock if available, such as OXO Meat Free Chicken stock cubes.
- For a gluten-free soup choose a gluten-free veggie stock.
- Instead of spring onions use chopped parsley, chives, or dill.
- Pearl barley can be subbed for rice. Adjust the cooking time for whole-grain or brown rice varieties as they may take longer to cook.
- Tofu can be replaced with the same quantity of chicken style vegan pieces such as Quorn vegan pieces, or 1-2 cans of white beans such a cannellini, haricot [navy beans], or butterbeans.
- Chopped mushrooms are also a tasty tofu replacement.
- Serve this soup with your favourite crusty bread, crackers, oatcakes, savoury scones or American biscuits.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, within a covered container, for 2-3 days.
- Or frozen for 2-3 months, well covered within a freezer proof container. Defrost before reheating.
- Reheat by bringing to a gentle boil and heat for 3-4 minutes until piping hot. Add extra vegetable stock if required as the barley will continue to soak up the liquid.
- As with all soups and stews cock-a-leekie will taste better the next day as all the flavours will settle and develop more.
Nutrition
Prepared our delicious Vegan Cock-a-Leekie Soup? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do pop back and leave us a comment and click the star ratings. Thanks so much, Jacq x
Tawnie
First time making this soup and it was a hit! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Jacq
Your very welcome. So glad you enjoyed the soup 🙂
Emily
I was intrigued by this soup and it did not disappoint! My son thought the name was hilarious (he's 4) and everyone enjoyed this meal. Thanks for sharing!
Jacq
Your welcome! Glad you all enjoyed the soup! The soups name is rather funny!!!
Jessica Morrell
Outstanding! My new favorite soup! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Jacq
Thanks so much! I’m very happy you enjoyed the cock-a-leekie soup recipe. It’s one of my favourites as well 😊
Colleen
Cock-a-leekie is a favorite soup in our family due to our Scottish heritage. I love that you have made a vegan version!
Jacq
Awesome! So glad you like the recipe. Scottish soups may have unusual names but they sure taste good 🙂
Michelle
Love leeks -- this soup looks so delicious and nutritious! Thanks for sharing!
Jacq
Your welcome! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Julie
What a hearty and flavor packed soup. Need a big bowl of this right away.
Jacq
Thanks! You can quickly whip this tasty Scottish soup up its so easy 🙂