Cock-a-leekie soup is a traditional Scottish dish that dates back to the 16th century. As with many time-honored recipes, this soup has several variations—and none are wrong—although all are commonly served with big chunks of vegetables and chicken.

Some cooks may add chopped cooked bacon to the soup, some will use beef or vegetable stock, and others will use barley instead of rice. Many cooks suggest offering stewed prunes with the finished dish, as was recommended by Talleyrand, the French gourmet.

This recipe uses a whole chicken cooked in a pot, but no prunes. If you like a sweet and savory combination, either add 12 pitted prunes to the pot 40 minutes before the end of the cooking time or garnish with some sliced stewed prunes.