Among the many dishes that warm the kitchens of Hyrule, the cream stew is one that has quite the storied past. The earliest form of these soups arose in the eastern farmlands of Necluda, where the humble villagers of Hateno simmered vegetables and mushrooms in fresh goat’s milk. These rustic soups were simple, nourishing fare that made use of the homegrown and foraged vegetation. These were hearty soups meant to comfort farmers after long days tending the fields.
As Hyrule’s kingdom expanded, the dairy herds of Lon Lon Ranch in Central Hyrule added to the milk output of Hateno, helping to make milk plentiful across the realm. Castle Town chefs, inspired by the Necludan tradition, refined the cream soup recipe with rich cuts of meat, clarified butter, and fragrant herbs. The result was the Creamy Meat Soup, a luxurious dish that graced both royal banquets and tavern tables alike. It was said that a pot of this stew, shared among soldiers and merchants in the castle’s shadow, could restore warmth to the body and courage to the heart. Even after the fall of Castle Town during the Great Calamity, the recipe endured, carried home by travelers and reborn in Hateno’s kitchens once more.
“This nutritious soup contains serious portions of lightly-braised meat and many vegetables."
This version of the Creamy Meat Soup carries the spirit of the recipe created by Hylian chefs while adding a bit of modern ingenuity. Tender chunks of chuck roast are seared to a deep golden brown before being pressure-braised with onion, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf until melt-in-your-mouth soft. The broth, savory, aromatic, and rich with beef and herbs, is then joined by hearty vegetables: carrots, potatoes, and delicate bok choy, bridging the rustic heart of Necluda with the refined touch of Central Hyrule.
A smooth béchamel of butter, flour, and milk is whisked together and tempered into the broth, giving the soup its silken, creamy body without dulling its depth. Finished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, the result is a dish that feels both royal and familiar, a bowl that could just as easily be found on a Hateno farmhouse table as in the dining halls of Castle Town.
Ingredients
2 lbs chuck roast
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ¼ tsp salt, divided, plus additional
½ tsp pepper, plus additional
2 sprigs of rosemary
5-7 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2-3 baby bok choy
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
2 lbs chuck roast
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ¼ tsp salt, divided, plus additional
½ tsp pepper, plus additional
2 sprigs of rosemary
5-7 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2-3 baby bok choy
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
We begin by prepping the chuck roast. Slice it into large 2 inch by 1 inch pieces. Season the chuck roast pieces generously with salt and black pepper.
Set a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and ensure the bottom of the pot is coated. Add the beef pieces in batches to the pressure cooker to brown them (2 to 3 batches should work). Brown the beef for about 4-5 minutes per batch, until the beef pieces are browned on each side.
Once all of the chuck roast is browned, turn the heat down to medium-low, add the onion, and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker with a spatula and stir the contents of the pot well.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it securely. Pressure cook the beef for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and release the pressure. Once the pressure has fully released, remove the lid and strain the broth through a mesh strainer.
Reserve the beef cubes in a bowl and discard the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Strain the broth again if needed to remove any additional excess fat.
Return the broth and the beef cubes to the pot. Place it back over medium heat. Add the carrots and potato, along with 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper. Stir. Allow the soup to come to a boil and then reduce to low heat to bring it to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the vegetables have soften.
While the vegetables are carrots are cooking, chop the base off the bok choy stalks so that the leaves are all separated. Rinse the bok choy in a colander under cold water to rinse any sediment from between the leaves. Allow them to dry in a colander while we build the béchamel.
While the vegetables soften, we will make the béchamel sauce. Set another smaller pot over low heat. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in the pot. Once the butter is melted, add the 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk the flour into the butter to create a smooth roux. Allow the flour to cook for about 2 minutes, but do not allow it to brown.
After the 2 minutes, start slowly whisking in the milk. Pour the milk in slowly, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time and completely whisk it into the roux before adding more. Continue this process until the full three cups of milk have been whisked in. Once all of the milk has been added, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk the salt into the sauce to fully blend. Turn the heat up to low-medium and allow the béchamel sauce to thicken a little more, about 3-5 minutes. When the béchamel sauce is done, remove it from the heat
When the vegetables have softened, remove the pot from the heat. Now we’ll temper the béchamel before adding it to the soup. Scoop out one ladleful of the hot soup broth and add it to the béchamel sauce. Stir the broth into the béchamel sauce to fully incorporate it. Repeat with a second ladleful of hot broth. Once the béchamel has been tempered, slowly pour it into the soup pot and stir it into the remaining broth and vegetables. Continue stirring until the béchamel sauce is fully incorporated into the soup.
Now, add the bok choy and cook until the soup thickens and the bok choy softens and slightly wilts, about 3-5 minutes. Season the soup further with salt as needed. Remove the soup from heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish each bowl with diced parsley. Enjoy!
Learn more about the Creamy Meat Soup dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at Zelda Dungeon.