This hearty steak and ale soup recipe is comfort food in a bowl. Top it with golden brown caramelized mushrooms and puff pastry croutons for a soup you'll make again and again!
Why This Recipe Works
Steak and ale originated as a meat pie in the United Kingdom, but variations of it exist all around the world. Normally, it is made of steak in ale gravy that is wrapped in a rough puff pastry pie dough.
The best way to enjoy this steak soup is with deeply caramelized mushrooms added in right before serving. But this takes away of a layer of flavor in the broth.
So instead, cook the mushrooms at the beginning and set them aside for later. This leaves behind the fond, which is the stuck bits of food on the pan, and lets the steak lift it up so it becomes part of the gravy.
This is a great way to add the flavor of the mushrooms to the steak soup while waiting to add them in at the end. It's a win-win!
Finally, top it in the puff pastry croutons to get that delicious traditional steak and ale pie flavor!
What's Goes Into the Recipe?
New York strip roasts should be simple to focus the flavor on the delicious meat. This recipe contains:
- Mushrooms. Choose a meaty mushroom, like cremini or portabella. These provide excellent texture without an overpowering flavor.
- Meat. Choose a good quality steak for this recipe. I recommend ribeye, but for a more economical cut use top round or even stew beef. They both have good meaty flavor without costing too much.
- Ale. Similar to regional cuisines of North America, the type of ale for steak soup recipes vary. The most commonly used ales are amber, brown, or Guinness because they have a deeper flavor.
- Vegetables. A foundation of mirepoix with garlic and tomato paste creates the flavor base for this soup. Caramelize
- Vinegar. Yes, you read that correctly. A little balsamic vinegar during cooking, plus a splash at the end helps balance the ale and brighten the soup.
To make this steak soup gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour for tapioca flour.
How To Make This Recipe
Melt half of the butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat and caramelize the mushrooms until a deep golden brown. Transfer them to a bowl until later.
In the same pan melt the rest of the butter. Toss the steak pieces in half of the flour and cook in the butter until a beautiful brown crust forms.
Stir in the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook until the onions have sweat and are becoming translucent.
Add in the tomato paste and rest of the flour and stir it into the mixture until well coated.
Pour in the ale, beef broth, and half of the vinegar. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.
Strain out the bay leaves and thyme.
Add the rest of the balsamic vinegar and the caramelized mushrooms into the pot.
Season with salt and pepper and top with puff pastry croutons.
Expert Tips
- Take your time searing the steak and get a nice beautiful brown crust to each piece. This helps develop a stronger flavor.
- This steak soup uses rustic vegetable cuts to keep with being a humble pub food. You don't have to be precise with them, but make sure that they aren't so large that they don't cook in time. Try not to have any larger than 1-inch pieces.
- Use whatever your favorite ale is for this recipe, but I would avoid bright and hoppy beers like IPA's, hefeweizen, or lagers.
- Waiting until the end to add the mushrooms prevents them from bloating with the soup broth. Instead, they become a garnish and preserve the golden-brown caramelization you worked so hard for.
- For easy straining, put the herbs into a tea ball strainer that is easily removed from the soup. That way you don't have to fish around for them.
Related Recipes
Want some more amazing soup recipes? I recommend:
Steak and Ale Soup With Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter, split in half
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 pounds steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 celery stalks, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 thyme stems
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, optional
- 1 bottle ale of your choice
- 1 quart beef broth
- 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, split in half
- salt and pepper, to taste
- puff pastry croutons
Instructions
- In the bottom of a heavy duty pot, melt the butter. Add in the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown and caramelized. Remove and set aside.
- Add two more tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt. Toss the pieces of steak in the flour, then add them to the pot. Save the rest of the flour for later. Brown the steak pieces until a nice, deep golden brown crust has formed. Add more butter to the pan as needed.
- Stir in the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook until the onions have sweat. About 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the rest of the flour until even distributed.
- Pour in the ale, beef stock and half the balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Strain out the bay leaves and thyme stems and add the second half of the balsamic vinegar and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and serve with puff pastry croutons.
Notes
- Take your time searing the steak and get a nice beautiful brown crust to each piece. This helps develop a stronger flavor.
- This steak soup uses rustic vegetable cuts to keep with being a humble pub food. You don't have to be precise with them, but make sure that they aren't so large that they don't cook in time. Try not to have any larger than 1-inch pieces.
- Use whatever your favorite ale is for this recipe, but I would avoid bright and hoppy beers like IPA's, hefeweizen, or lagers.
- Waiting until the end to add the mushrooms prevents them from bloating with the soup broth. Instead, they become a garnish and preserve the golden-brown caramelization you worked so hard for.
- For easy straining, put the herbs into a tea ball strainer that is easily removed from the soup. That way you don't have to fish around for them.
Cori says
A huge congratulations from snowy Massachusetts on the perfect recipe! I used a tall can of Guinness stout, 2 lb sirloin steak, and I also used button mushrooms. My local grocery store does not carry the cremini 😣 still an incredible turnout! Thank you for this crowd pleaser!!
If you’re still thinking about whether or not you should make this? Stop. Just do it. You will not regret it!!
Mackenzie Ryan says
This made me so happy to read Cori! I'm so glad you loved it! ❤️❤️❤️
Christine says
Hi there! Just clarifying: this recipe takes 1/4 Tablespoon, not 1/4 cup? I'm wondering how I could measure that, and then divide it for the recipe 🙂 Thank you
Mackenzie Ryan says
Oh my goodness Christine, thank you so much for noticing this! Yes, it should be 1/4 cup not Tablespoons. That should be much easier to divide! I appreciate your keen eye!
BRITTANY says
am i missing where the ale gets added?
Mackenzie Ryan says
Oh goodness Brittany, I'm so embarrassed. It's really hard to have steak and ale soup without the ale! I've updated the recipe card to include it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂