Losing the Plot

Traditional Ulster Vegetable Broth

This simple soup is a traditional favourite in Northern Ireland and hails from the land immediately surrounding round Lough Neagh where the ingredients have been grown for generations. Although not as well known as the Ulster Fry, it is every bit as authentic but much, much healthier.

People have been enjoying this same recipe for hundreds of years, for good reason; it is hearty, wholesome, cheap and easy to make, for me it is a taste and smell of home. Pure comfort food, Ulster style, plus it’s a great way to top up your 5 a Day.

Although I make it with vegetable stock, traditionally it would have made use of off cuts of meat, or bones, both for flavour and to make sure every last morsel of nutrition was salvaged from the food available. Feel free to add the remnants of your Sunday roast to the pot, or get a bone form the butcher; but for me – I’m keeping this one vegan.

Ingredients

Traditional Ulster Vegetable Soup Mix includes; dried pearl barley, split green peas, split yellow peas and red lentils
Traditional Ulster Vegetable Broth Mix

A packet of soup mix – or if you can’t get hold of that, a mix of 7 parts dried barley, to 1 each of (dried) red lentils, split green peas, and yellow split peas For a thicker soup add some marrowfat peas

2 Carrots

Small bunch of soup celery (as dark green as you can find) you will be using leaves and all.

Bunch of flat leafed parsley

1 – 2 Leeks, washed and sliced.

Method

Start by soaking the dried ingredients either overnight or for a couple of hours Bring a pot of stock to the boil (two – three litres depending on your pot) Add the soaked soup mix and boil for at least half an hour, you can simmer for longer if you like a thick soup. It will look murky but that is normal, I usually rinse the mix first and then let it soak.

Dried soup mix soaking in water

Chop your veg, either finely or chunky – it’s your choice Add to the pot and simmer for about twenty minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season and serve, preferably with a couple of slices of fresh wheaten bread.

Chopped soup vegetables, carrot, celery, leek, and flat leaf parsley (including the stalks)
My chopped veg
A bowl of hearty vegetable broth
Ready to eat, all I need is a thick slice of wheaten bread

This soup gives more than just a nod to times past, but for some more inspiration and proper history, check out April’s posts on Medieval Pottage.

Losing the Plot, Traditional Ulster Vegetable Broth, Image of a bowl of hearty soup made form carrots, leeks, parsley, pearl barley and split peas

24 comments

      • Thank you for this recipe, a local cafe sells this soup and I’ve been looking for over a year for a recipe that’s similar to theirs.
        I slightly overcooked mine and the vegetables were a little mushy but it tastes bomb af. I’ve shared the recipe with everyone I know who would be interested.
        Thanks again!

        Liked by 1 person

      • 😁 aw I’m delighted that it has worked for you. If you really like the soup in the cafe, ask them what stock they use as that can affect the flavour

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    • It is rather vile here and yes it is just the thing to warm up with. It is also dead easy, even a tired papa could throw a pot of this on – if say his Belle, needed to recline for a little while with closed eyes for some reason? 🥰

      Many congratulations 💕

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      • Ha ha! Nice idea! He tries his best and has finally worked up the courage to change a nappy but I think a new recipe would be beyond him sadly (he takes half an hour to get 2 eggs…). Nah, it’ll be down to me to make it once life settles down a bit and I can find the mix. It really does sound scrumptious and I love trying traditional Irish recipes.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Inspired by tis I’ve just put a pot of soup on – mine has some extras – butternut squash, and curly kale, but you inspired me!! I added some tomatoes and sweet chilli sauce too…So it’s possibly not quite the same. Still I hope it will be delicious.

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    • It sounds delicious. The kale is in keeping with the green parsley and soup celery, which is much darker than the ordinary stuff. But the other ingredients sound good, and fresh hope it’s lovely, and I’m thrilled that it inspired you 😊

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  6. Hallo! I grew up in Belfast, and this was our Sunday soup, eaten with big floury potatoes on the side. I live in Munich now and am a vegetarian as well so I make it with veggie stock. Unfortunately the soup mix isn’t available here so I just use my own mix of barley, peas & lentils. I do a “soup day” once a week for pensioners who live on a very small budget and this soup has become a favourite of theirs. Thank you for the memories! Happy New Year, Valerie

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Aw that is wonderful to hear! The smell immediately takes me back to childhood and my Granny’s kitchen.

      But you are right, for something that is quite low budget, it is a very healthy, nutritious meal. I know that like us, Germans are also fond of their potatoes, but I’d say that their noodles would probably work quite well in this too?

      Have a very Happy New Year (and treat them to a bit of wheaten or soda bread someday) 😊

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  7. Good evening. Im from newtownards.been looking for this rescipe for years.
    I now live Hastings.
    I may be getting mixed up as I was only 9 years old when left N.Ireland but I thought my granny put cabbage in her broth.

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    Reply

    • Hiya! I’m glad this has been of use then 🙂
      I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit surprised if there were a few differences from one town to another, so it’s more than possible.
      Give the recipe a try and add a wee bit of cabbage, see if that rekindles those memories.

      Good Luck 🤞

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