Welsh Ham Cawl

Traditional Welsh cawl with root vegetables and cooked gammon ham, served with sourdough bread and Caerphilly cheese

Cawl is one of Wales’ most traditional dishes, originally made with whatever was available - most often lamb, slowly simmered into a clear, nourishing broth. In parts of North Wales, it’s known as lobsgows (or lobscouse), reflecting its roots as a simple, everyday meal.

This version uses gammon, gently simmered to create a light, flavourful stock before being cut into chunks and returned to the pot with carrots, potatoes, leeks, parsnip and swede. Everything is cooked until just tender, so the vegetables hold their shape.

The result is a comforting, well-balanced cawl with a clean broth, natural sweetness from the vegetables, and a subtle savoury depth from the gammon, finished with parsley and black pepper.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine British, Welsh

Keyword broth, cawl, gammon, ham, Pork, stew, Welsh recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings bowls

Calories 232kcal

Cost £3

Equipment

1 large cooking pot
1 fine mesh strainer or skimmer

Ingredients

700 g gammon joint boneless or on the bone
1.5 litres water
1 medium onion
2 large carrots
2 leeks
2 medium potatoes
½ small swede
1 bay leaf
1 handful fresh parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Place the gammon in a large pot and add the water or stock - just enough to cover. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface using a mesh strainer/skimmer or shallow spoon.
Cut the onion into quarters and add it to the pot, along with the bay leaf. Simmer gently for 60–90 minutes, until the gammon is tender.
Remove the gammon from the pan and allow to rest, then strain the broth.
Wash, peel and chop all the vegetables as above, keeping the pieces fairly chunky so they hold their shape during cooking.
Add the carrots and swede, and continue to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Add the leeks and potatoes, and simmer for a further 10 minutes. By now, the vegetables should be tender yet still holding their shape.
Cut the gammon into bite-sized chunks, then return to the pot.
Add the black pepper and chopped parsley, stir through and serve.

Notes

Gammon can vary in saltiness. If needed, soak it in cold water for 1–2 hours beforehand to reduce the salt level.
To ensure the broth stays clear, keep the heat low, avoid boiling, and skim early on.
Like most cawl, this improves overnight. Traditionally, the broth would often be left to rest and reheated the next day, allowing it to settle and creating a deeper, more rounded flavour.
Some recipes also suggest leaving the gammon in the broth overnight, then skimming any fat from the surface before reheating. This allows the flavours to deepen further and makes it easier to remove excess fat, resulting in a cleaner, more balanced broth.
Don't throw away your vegetable peelings - instead, use them to make soup or stock.
Store any leftover cawl in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to six months.

Nutrition