Hough Soup
Submitted by Hillbillee
Traditional Scottish hough soup made from beef shank simmered for hours with carrots, onion, and turnip, then thickened with sago. A hearty, old-fashioned broth from the bone.
Hough soup is a proper Scottish classic, the kind of thing your gran would have simmering on the stove all afternoon. It’s built from beef shank (hough in Scots), one of the cheapest, most flavorful cuts you can buy, slow-cooked until the bone gives up every last bit of goodness into the broth.
Browning the meat and vegetables in beef drippings before adding the water is what separates a rich, golden soup from a pale, watery one. That initial fry builds a fond on the bottom of the pan that dissolves into the broth as it simmers.
After 3 to 4 hours of gentle cooking, the broth gets strained clean and thickened with sago, a starchy pearl that swells up and gives the soup body. If you can’t find sago, pearl tapioca works the same way.
The turnip adds an earthy sweetness that balances the beefy richness. Don’t leave it out.
Kitchen Tips
- Skim the fat from the surface after bringing the soup to a boil. This keeps the broth clear instead of greasy.
- Simmer gently, never boil. A rolling boil makes the broth cloudy and can toughen the meat.
- Cut the beef shank into small pieces so it gives up more flavor during the long cook.
- Season with salt and pepper only at the end, after straining. The flavors concentrate during simmering and early salting can make it too salty.
Variations
- Barley hough: Replace the sago with pearl barley for a chunkier, more filling soup.
- Lentil version: Add red lentils during the last 30 minutes for extra body and protein.
- Scotch broth style: Keep the vegetables in instead of straining, and add diced leeks and dried peas.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the meat into small peices.
Melt fat in a saucepan and add the meat and vegetables.
Fry slowly until browned. Add the water. Bring to the boil and skim off excess fat.
Cover and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours.
Skim and then strain soup into a clean saucepan.
Add sago to soup.
Quickly bring soup to the boil.
Cover and simmer gently until Sago is cooked.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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