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Brown Windsor soup

Decorated bowl of Brown Windsor soup with silver spoon and postcard of Windsor on white tablecloth with napkin. For Brown Windsor Soup recipe.

The first soup associated with Windsor was created by George IV’s chef which he called Vermicelli Soup, a la Windsor presumably referring to the castle rather than the town.  It was fundamentally and chicken broth with noodles.  In the 1840s, Queen Victoria’s chef, Elme Francatelli, called his soup of chicken, white wine, cream and noodles Potage a la Windsor.  Neither soup bore any relation to the Brown Windsor soup that appeared in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management in 1861 which consisted of steak, lamb, rice and Madeira.  There are many explanations of why a soup associated with Windsor and was brown in colour emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century most of which are probably apocryphal.  By the twentieth century it was regarded as an example of Britain’s poor cuisine compared to that of France and Italy.  It was also associated with the railway as it was claimed to be commonly served in dining cars.  This assumption has been questioned, however, and it may owe this reputation to fiction rather than fact.   This recipe is based on that of Mrs Beeton in her Book of Household Management (1861).

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Measuring jug
  • Saucepan
  • Sieve
  • Frying pan
  • Cast iron casserole
  • Blender
  • Slotted spoon

Preparation method

  • Place the rice in the saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed the water. Drain and set aside.
  • Cut the braising steak and lamb into 2.5cm dice.
  • Place the beef dripping in the frying pan, heat to sizzling hot and brown the meat in batches, transferring to the casserole after each batch has browned.
  • Add the vegetables to the casserole and stir well.
  • Add the stock, thyme and bay leaf.
  • Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Cook gently for 1½ hours, until the meat is tender.
  • Transfer half the soup (including half the meat and vegetables) into the blender along with the rice and blend to a smooth puree.
  • Remove the remaining meat and vegetables with the slotted spoon to a chopping board and chop into very small pieces.
  • Return the chopped meat and vegetables to the casserole along with the blended puree, season to taste and heat through until hot.
  • Serve with a splash of Madeira in each bowl.

Tip: After you have peeled onions or shallots, cut them in half and remove the inner shoots as they can cause indigestion.
For tips on making soups see my guide for making soups and stews.
More meat-based soup recipes
Bean soup
Cawl
Cock-a-leekie
Game soup
London Particular
Mulligatawny soup
Scotch broth

Victorian

Serves:
6
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 100 g long grain rice
  • 150 ml water
  • 250 g braising steak, cut into 2.5cm chunks
  • 250 g lamb steak, trimmed of all fat and cut into 2.5cm chunks
  • 25 g beef dripping
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
  • 800 ml beef stock
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 60 ml Madeira
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Brown Windsor soup
Serving Size
 
295 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
255
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
7.6
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
2.8
g
18
%
Cholesterol
 
54
mg
18
%
Sodium
 
587
mg
26
%
Potassium
 
681
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
1.6
g
7
%
Sugar
 
3.6
g
4
%
Protein
 
23
g
46
%
Calcium
 
39
mg
4
%
Iron
 
2.1
mg
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

beef, Braising lamb, Rice

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace