The moment I encountered the eponym for this enticingly creative concoction, I giggled, but also became quite determined to put my own spin on this european tradition.

After all, I am in love with everything French and apparently this silly little soup originated in France.

Cock-a-leekie soup is a Scottish soup dish of leeks and chicken stock, often thickened with rice, or sometimes barley. The original recipe added prunes during cooking, and traditionalists still garnish with a julienne of prunes.  Anne Mulhern of Glasgow’s Willow Tearooms suggests that the reason for the addition of prunes dates back to times when only boiling fowls were available and prunes were added to increase the nutritional value of the broth.

While it is called “Scotland’s National Soup,” it probably originated as a chicken and onion soup in France. By the 16th century, it had made its way to Scotland, where the onions were replaced with leeks. The first recipe was printed in 1598, though the name “cock-a-leekie” did not come into use until the 18th century.

While I do love a great bowl of soup, I simply felt the need to craft this crock with even a few more changes than usual.
You know me… I simply cannot follow a recipe, nor can I follow the rules.

So, with a bowlful of leeks, a pocketful of prunes (more like a handful), and a few sprigs of thyme on my hands ~

Cock a Leekie PIZZA ensued.

That’s right, PIZZA.

“Kalettes” also played a part – a nutty hybrid between our beloved Brussels sprouts and overly adored kale.

The cauliflower crust pizza is grain-free, of course. So, with the addition of a little chicken, we’ve got a nutritional powerhouse on our hands as well as a melt in your mouth delicious delicacy.

The pizza crust is easy peasy, by the way. No laborious dough-making involved. In fact, it’s quite a snap.

And once it’s all put together…

Cock a Leekie Pizza

1 small head cauliflower, finely shredded or chopped in the food processor
1 pastured egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
sea salt and pepper

1 Tbs. pastured butter
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced**
1 cup Kalettes (or any sort of kale will do, chopped)
5 prunes, diced
2 Tbs. fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper
1 Tbs. balsamic reduction (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, microwave (no judgement here – let’s keep this easy) the cauliflower 4-5 minutes, until soft and super duper stinky. Combine the cooked cauliflower, egg, cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Form into a 8-10″ crust on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly brown.
Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter. Add chicken, leeks, kale-ish produce, and prunes. Cook until the leeks are soft, the chicken is done all the way through, and the prunes are beginning to “dissolve.” Add the fresh thyme and salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes more.

Evenly disperse the cock-a-leekie topping over the pizza crust and drizzle with a teeny bit of balsamic reduction, if desired.

This will knock your socks off! A little sweet, a little salty, and amazingly savory all at once!

**Leeks are VERY dirty. The mud seems to hide inside every little crevice. So, in order to avoid a gritty bite or two from the yucky mud, after slicing the big green onions, allow the slices to soak in a large bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. Push the rings all the way through from each slice so that all surfaces are exposed to the COLD water bath. After about 10 minutes, rinse and dry. All the icky dirt should remain at the bottom of the bowl.