A hearty soup from Everett’s favorite Sisters

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Sound & Summit.

If you’re a fan of The Sisters Restaurant’s Scotch lamb and barley soup, you have Rachel Quall to thank for it.

The hearty Scottish soup was the youngest Quall sister’s favorite when the Everett counter-service restaurant opened more than 40 years ago — and it’s been on the Sisters fall menu ever since.

Sisters, which has won a number of The Daily Herald’s Best of Snohomish County Awards over the years, is renowned here for its scratch-made sandwiches, salads, pies — and, yes, soups.

The family-owned restaurant is named for four sisters — Gretchen Quall, Jenny Quall, Tory Quall and Kathy Pedigo — who have run the kitchen for the better part of four decades.

“I’m all about the soups,” said Tory Quall, 68, one of the sister chefs. “Scotch lamb and barley is one of my favorite soups, too. It’s a hearty, simple, classic recipe. When you know, you know.”

The national soup of Scotland, the dish is traditionally made with stewed or braised cuts of lamb or mutton, Scotch barley and root vegetables like onions, carrots, turnips and potatoes. Common Scottish additions include split peas, red lentils, cabbage and leeks.

The Sisters Restaurant’s Scotch lamb and barley soup recipe is similar to Campbell’s Scotch broth, one of several canned soups that were discontinued by the Campbell Soup Co. in 2023.

Their soup features fall-off-the-bone lamb, tender-cooked barley and a medley of root vegetables. When the weather cools, you’ll find it back in the Sisters rotation.

A family legacy

Martha Quall founded The Sisters Restaurant in 1983. The restaurant on Grand Avenue serves up American diner fare made from scratch by Martha’s daughters.

“There are six of us all together, but only four have worked at the restaurant — all daughters, isn’t that crazy?” Tory Quall said. “We couldn’t let it fail because it would be like letting your mother down.”

But Everett nearly lost the sisterly institution when the pandemic hit.

After managing the restaurant for 37 years, COVID-19 had Martha contemplating shuttering the doors. The dining restrictions were hurting their bottom line. Her daughters broke the news to the family during a state-mandated closure that Sisters was done for.

In the nick of time, one of Martha’s grandsons changed Sisters fate.

In 2021, Jackson Quall, Tory’s son, and Archie Chandler, Jackson’s partner, offered to take over the restaurant. Martha was overjoyed that The Sisters Restaurant was saved — and by her own grandson.

“I was really glad — I think the whole family was glad,” said Martha Quall, 89, now retired from the restaurant. “Jack is quite enterprising. His skills amaze me. He pulls the family together.”

Between the two of them, Jackson, 39, and Archie, 32, of Everett, have been in the food service industry for 25 years. Jackson was a bartender at Cafe Flora and a manager at Macrina Bakery, whereas Archie has worked at a score of Seattle restaurants after a job in the training kitchen at South Seattle College.

“I grew up in this very space,” said Jackson Quall, who also runs a music curation company that provides recorded music for stores and gyms. “I’d spend most of my hours at a table reading books. Washing dishes here was my first job ever.

“I always had it logged in the back of my mind that eventually I would like to own this place.”

The new owners have kept all the Sisters menu favorites — but Jackson and Archie made their mark by adding vegan and gluten-free options, offering espresso and alcohol, expanding service to include dinner and weekend hours, and giving the dining room a bit of a makeover.

One of Jackson’s favorite additions to the restaurant are the black-and-white photos of the Qualls that adorn the space to remind diners of their family legacy. His grandmother loves them too.

“He went through all my albums and picked out all the pictures he wanted and took it from there,” Martha Quall said. “I’m blessed with a large family. I enjoy sitting there and looking at them.”

Some of the Sisters sandwich, salad and soup recipes — including the Scotch lamb and barley soup — are older than the photographs on the wall.

The restaurant founder can’t pick a top soup from the Sisters menu. Her daughters have too many tasty recipes after 40 years for her to choose just one. But she does enjoy their Scotch lamb and barley soup.

“It’s very good,” she said. “I like it a lot.”

The Sisters Restaurant’s Scotch lamb and barley soup

This hearty Scottish soup was the youngest of the Quall sisters’ favorite when she was a girl. It is made with fall-off-the-bone lamb, tender-cooked barley and a medley of root vegetables.

2-3 pounds lamb shanks

1 tablespoon oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

¾ cup pearl barley

4 cups water

2 quarts chicken or beef stock

1-2 tablespoons of beef base (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Roasting the lamb shanks: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper the lamb shanks to taste. Roast the lamb in a baking pan for 30-40 minutes. Place the roasted lamb shanks in a stock pot. Add 2 quarts of chicken or beef stock. Can add optional beef base at this time. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Allow to cool slightly and pull the meat from the bones. Chop up the lamb and add it back to the stock.

Cooking the barley: In another pot, add the pearl barley, water and a good pinch of salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add the cooked barley to the stock.

Sauteing the vegetables: In a soup pot on medium heat, saute the onions and carrots in oil until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Assembling the soup: Add the stock with the roasted lamb and cooked barley to the soup pot. Add the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30-40 minutes.

Serve with a mixed-greens salad tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and a slice of toasted sourdough bread. Makes six servings.

If you go

The Sisters Restaurant, 2804 Grand Ave., Everett, is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Call 425-252-0480 or visit thesistersrestaurant.godaddysites.com for more information.

Sara Bruestle is a freelance writer.