Gordon Ramsay’s beef barley soup is dark, rich and loaded with falling-apart beef shin and plump pearl barley in a beer-spiked broth that’s been simmering for the best part of an afternoon. It’s the kind of soup that fills the house with a smell that makes everyone ask when dinner’s ready.
This is built from his Hodge Podge Soup in Great British Pub Food, which he calls “the British equivalent of the French garbure.” He says pearl barley works brilliantly in place of potato here because it absorbs the beer-flavoured stock as it simmers and gives the soup a chewy, nutty texture that potato can’t match.
The technique that ties it all together is the beurre manié at the end: a paste of softened butter and flour stirred into the broth a piece at a time, which thickens it into something silky without needing to blend anything. It’s a proper old-school French trick that Ramsay uses to finish the soup rather than starting with a roux.
Gordon Ramsay’s Beef Barley Soup
Course: Soup, Main6-8
20
minutes4
hours380
kcal260
minutesEasy
Gordon Ramsay’s beef and barley soup built from his Hodge Podge Soup in Great British Pub Food. Beef shin simmered for 3 to 4 hours with beer, root vegetables and pearl barley until meltingly tender. Thickened with beurre manié for a rich, silky broth. Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
700-800g (1.5-1.7 lb) boneless beef shin, trimmed and cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, peeled and diced into 2cm pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and diced into 2cm pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced into 2cm pieces
2 celery sticks, trimmed and diced into 2cm pieces
125g (4.5 oz) pearl barley
3 tbsp olive oil
330ml bottle light beer or cider
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
Few thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves to garnish
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and black pepper
20g (¾ oz) butter, softened
20g (¾ oz) plain flour
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions
- Brown the beef: Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper and fry in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until evenly browned all over. Don’t crowd the pan or it’ll steam instead of sear. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the remaining oil to the pan. Sauté the onion, carrot, turnip and celery over a medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes until lightly golden.
- Deglaze with beer: Pour in the beer or cider and let it bubble until reduced by half, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer: Return the beef to the pan and pour in the stock. Add the thyme, bay leaf and pearl barley, then top up with enough water to cover everything. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim off any scum that rises. Cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours, skimming occasionally, until the meat is meltingly tender.
- Thicken with beurre manié: Mix the softened butter with the flour to make a thick paste. Stir this into the simmering soup a small piece at a time and cook for another 5 minutes until the broth thickens. Discard the herbs. Season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper.
- Serve: Ladle into warm bowls and scatter with chopped parsley and thyme leaves. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.
FAQs
Why beef shin and not stewing steak?
Shin has more connective tissue than regular stewing steak, and that collagen breaks down over 3 to 4 hours into gelatin which gives the broth its body. Stewing steak works but it dries out faster and doesn’t enrich the liquid the same way.
Why deglaze with beer instead of wine?
Ramsay calls for a light beer or cider, which adds a malty sweetness that works with the barley and root veg. Red wine would push it towards a stew, but the beer keeps it tasting like a proper British broth. Let it bubble until it’s reduced by half so the alcohol cooks off and you’re left with just the flavour.
What does the beurre manié actually do?
It thickens the broth at the end rather than the start, which means you can control exactly how thick it gets. Stir in a small piece, let it simmer for a minute, then decide if you want more. It’s the opposite of a roux where you’re committed to the thickness from the beginning.
Does beef barley soup keep well?
It’s better the next day because the barley absorbs more broth overnight and the flavours deepen. It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months. Add a splash of stock when you reheat because the barley thickens it as it sits.
It’s a full meal on its own with crusty bread, or serve it before a slow cooker roast beef if you want to go all out. A few Yorkshire puddings on the side wouldn’t hurt either.
