Caldo de Res is a hearty Mexican Beef Soup cooked with tender vegetables in a savory bone broth. This Soup is perfect for cold weather! Serve with warm corn tortillas, a squeeze of lime juice, cilantro, and a little salsa. Recipe Video is below!
Caldo de Res
This dish goes by many names. Depending on the region in Mexico, some people call this soup "Caldo de res", "Sopa de res", or "Cocido". In English, the Spanish word "Caldo" means soup, and "res" means beef (or cow). For sure this homemade Mexican Beef soup is a perfect soup on a cold day and also a great remedy for the flu. It is so nourishing, hearty, delicious, and so easy to make!
Watch my Step-by-Step Video for Caldo de Res below:
Recipe Variations "Caldo de Pollo"
Instead of beef, you can also make this soup with chicken. Make sure you use chicken with the bone, such as thighs and legs without skin for the most flavorful broth. In Spanish, it translates to "Caldo De Pollo". When cooking this soup with chicken, traditionally garbanzo beans are added in addition to all the vegetables listed in my recipe. The potatoes can be swapped out with chayotes. Also, a few sprigs of mint are added just before serving the soup, in the last 10 minutes of boiling. Interesting to know is that these dishes date back to the conquest, and the arrival of the Spanish and the Arabic customs that have had such a lasting influence on the native Mexican cuisine.
What Meat to use for Caldo de Res:
To make this hearty flavorful broth you want to get Beef shank bones (beef marrow bones) because the marrow is where the rich beef flavor comes from.
For the meat, you can use beef short ribs, which is what I used, or pieces of beef chuck roast. You will want to cook the meat and bones for 1 hour until adding the vegetables. The bones and the bone marrow are removed after cooking. The marrow can be served as an appetizer on a warm corn tortilla with chopped onion, cilantro, avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, and salsa.
Vegetables for Caldo de Res:
This soup is loaded with fresh vegetables and is traditionally cooked with potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, carrots, zucchini, celery, and cabbage. However, there are no set rules on what you can use. Really anything will go with it.
Like to support my work? If you would be so kind and have a moment to spare, I would be so happy to hear from you! If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back to comment and leave a 5 -star rating below. You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first when new recipes are live!
Recipe
Caldo De Res - Mexican Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef marrow bones
- 1.5 lbs beef chuck short ribs, or beef chuck pieces
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup onion, about half of an onion - finely diced
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 serrano, or jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 10-12 cups hot water
- salt & pepper to taste (about 1 tablespoon or a little more)
- 6-8 baby dutch potatoes, or 2 yellow potatoes- quartered
- 2 ears fresh corn, cut into thirds
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Β½ head green cabbage, cut into thick pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch of cilantro
Serving:
- 3 limes halved
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- salsa or hot sauce for serving
- warm corn tortillas for serving
Instructions
- 1. Season the meat with salt and pepper.2. Heat the olive oil in a large 7-quart stock pot. Add the meat and the bones to the pot and sear (brown) on all sides for about 10 minutes.3. Add your diced onion and cook for about 1 minute, then stir in the minced garlic and jalapeno pepper. 4. Add 10 to 12 cups of hot water to the pot. The meat should be covered. Check for seasoning. Add more salt and some garlic powder.5. Cover and simmer for 1 hour until the beef is tender.6. Add the corn, potatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaf to the soup. Cover again and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure there is enough water to cover all the ingredients. If not, add more water. 7. Lastly add the cabbage, zucchini, and cilantro. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. We don't want them to become too mushy. Once again, check if more salt is needed.8. Remove the meat and bones from the soup, then shred the meat. If you like you can remove the bone marrow (if you have a chopstick on hand that will work great to poke it out) and serve it on the side with corn tortillas and a squeeze of lime juice.Fill your soup bowls, then add some shredded beef. Top with fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salsa or your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy with warm corn tortillas!
Video
COMMENTS