Gordon Ramsay Meatball Soup

Gordon Ramsay’s meatball soup is smoky, spicy and packed with soft beef meatballs in a chipotle tomato broth, topped with crushed tortilla chips and fresh coriander. It’s a spicy Mexican soup, not Italian, which is why it tastes completely different from what you’re probably expecting.

This is his Spicy Meatball Soup from Ultimate Cookery Course. The key is chipotles in adobo, which are smoked jalapeños in a sweet and sour purée that give the broth a depth regular chilli can’t touch. Ramsay says if you can’t find them, try Aleppo chillies from Syria for their smoky flavour, or use regular chillies with a teaspoon of smoked paprika.

The meatball technique is what makes them so soft: he soaks breadcrumbs in milk before mixing them into the mince. That moisture stays trapped inside as they cook, so they come out tender rather than dense and dry.

Gordon Ramsay’s Spicy Meatball Soup

Recipe by Sophie LaneCourse: Soup, Main

Servings

4-6

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Total time

80

minutes

Difficulty

Medium

Gordon Ramsay’s Spicy Meatball Soup from Ultimate Cookery Course. Soft beef meatballs with milk-soaked breadcrumbs in a chipotle tomato broth, finished with sweetcorn, courgettes, crushed tortilla chips and fresh coriander. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• For the Meatballs:

• 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 500g (1.1 lb) beef mince

• 75g (3 oz) fresh breadcrumbs

• 3-4 tbsp milk

• Olive oil, for frying

• Sea salt and black pepper

• For the Soup:

• 1 onion, peeled and diced

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ½-1 tbsp chipotle chilli paste or chipotles in adobo

• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1L (4 cups) beef or chicken stock

• 1 x 340g tin sweetcorn, drained

• 2 courgettes, trimmed and diced into 2cm pieces

• To Serve:

• 1 large handful of tortilla chips, roughly crushed

• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

• 2 tbsp jalapeño peppers, deseeded and chopped

Directions

• Make the meatballs: Sauté the onion and garlic in a hot oiled pan for 5 minutes until soft, adding the chilli flakes after a minute or two. Put the mince in a large bowl and season. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk separately, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the mince and combine well. With wet hands, roll into balls just smaller than a golf ball. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
• Start the soup base: Heat a little oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion and garlic with salt and pepper for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the cumin seeds and meatballs together, then cook over a high heat to toast the cumin and colour the meatballs on all sides.
• Build the broth: Add the chipotle paste and stir over a high heat. Pour in the tomatoes, oregano and stock. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, season and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the soup has thickened.
• Add the veg: Drop in the sweetcorn and courgettes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until both are just tender.
• Serve: Ladle into warm bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, chopped coriander and jalapeño peppers.

FAQs

Why does Ramsay toast cumin seeds with the meatballs?

He adds the cumin seeds to the pan at the same time as the meatballs and cooks them together over high heat. The cumin toasts in the fat that renders from the beef, which blooms the spice and coats every meatball in that warm, smoky flavour. Adding cumin to the liquid later just tastes dusty.

Why add the sweetcorn and courgettes at the end?

They only need 3 to 4 minutes. If you add them at the start they’ll be mushy and flavourless after 20 minutes of simmering. Ramsay drops them in right before serving so they stay firm and sweet, which gives you a contrast against the soft meatballs and rich broth.

Can I make this the night before?

Ramsay actually recommends it. He says it “can be done in advance, then left overnight for the flavours to develop.” Just stop before adding the sweetcorn and courgettes, then reheat the broth and add the veg fresh for the last few minutes.

How do I freeze the meatballs?

Ramsay’s tip: let the cooked onion and garlic mixture cool completely before mixing it into the mince, because warm onions start cooking the meat and mess up the texture. Shape the balls, lay them on a tray and freeze until firm, then bag them up. They keep for a month.

It’s a proper meal on its own, or serve alongside a spicy beef salad or a light chopped salad if you want something fresh to cut through the heat.