Cock-A-Leekie Soup-A Recipe for Burns Night

Every year on January 25, Scots (and those who have plaid hearts), come together to celebrate the life and literary works of Scotland’s beloved poet, Robert Burns. Burns Night is a night for making merry. Though celebrations vary among its participants, generally it’s a night to gather with family and friends to eat traditional Scottish fare, to be entertained by all things Burns, and of course, to drink whisky! At more formal occasions, the evening commences with the joining of hands as everyone sings ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ Mr. C and I celebrate our own version of Burns Night, but to celebrate this event IN Scotland is one of my bucket list dreams.

The traditional fare on Burns Night is usually some sort of soup (such as cock-a-leekie), haggis, neeps, tatties, and something sweet (like cranachan or clootie dumpling). Today, I would like to share with you my recipe for cock-a-leekie soup. I know it sounds funny, but it’s just chicken soup with leeks. The addition of allspice really takes the taste up a notch. Enjoy it on Burns Night or any other occasion. It’s utterly delicious!

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Burns Night-A Celebration of Scotland’s National Poet

It’s the 25th of January, and in Scotland, that means one thing – Burns Night!

Burns Night Suppers are an annual event whereby folks in Scotland and beyond get together to celebrate and commemorate the life and works of Scotland’s beloved national poet, Robert Burns. The Suppers take place each 25th of January on the anniversary of his birthday.

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Robert Burns: 1759-1796
Photo:  Public Domain

Robert Burns (also known as Robbie, Rabbie, The Ploughman Poet, and the Bard of Ayrshire) is one of Scotland’s favorite sons. You probably know him best as the man who first penned the words to “Auld Lang Syne.” Perhaps you know him by the verse that reads, “O my Luve’s like a red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June.” Or maybe you have a fondness for any one of Rabbie’s other 700+ works. He was a prolific writer and covered such topics as death and war, anguish and greed, religion and politics, love and sex, and many other topics in between.

Although archived and no longer updated, I discovered a BBC page dedicated to Burns that lists 716 poems and songs. It allows you to search for works by title, season, theme, and the year written. Well worth a look if you are interested in Rabbie’s poetry!

What happens at a Burns Night Celebration?

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