Cawl Welsh Lamb and Leek Broth

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-11 · Updated 2026-10-11

Wales' national dish: a slow-simmered broth of lamb neck, leeks, swede and potatoes, finished with fresh parsley. Serve it with crusty bread and a wedge of Caerphilly. This Welsh-inspired soup recipe, ready in about 165 minutes, pairs lamb neck on the bone, cut into chunks, leeks, sliced, swede, diced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb neck on the bone, cut into chunks
• 3 leeks, sliced
• 300 g swede, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 litres cold water
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• to taste salt and black pepper

The stock pot we’d simmer this in → Best Stock Pots for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Put the lamb in a large pot, cover with the cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the scum.
2. Step 2: Add the onion, bay leaves and thyme. Lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 1.5 hours.
3. Step 3: Lift out the lamb. Cool the broth and skim off the excess fat. Pull the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pot.
4. Step 4: Add the swede, carrots and potatoes and simmer for 25 minutes, until tender.
5. Step 5: Stir in two-thirds of the leeks and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the leeks for the final 3 minutes so they stay bright.
6. Step 6: Season, stir in the parsley and serve hot.