Name: Caldo de Res {Mexican Vegetable Beef Soup}
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 pounds center-cut beef shank (with the bone) or beef stew meat. If you use beef stew meat you'll only need 2 1/2 pounds.; 1 large white onion, chopped; 3 tomatillos, husks removed and chopped; 2 large tomatoes, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 12 cups of water; 4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks; 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks; 2 large waxy potatoes, such as Yukon golds, peeled and cut into large chunks; 3 ears sweet corn, husked and cut into bite-sized rounds; 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed; 3 small summer squash or zucchini, trimmed and cut into large chunks; lime wedges; hot sauce; sliced jalapeños or pickled jalapeños; warm tortillas

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Winter cooking means long-simmering dishes like this Caldo de Res recipe. Nothing will warm you like the comforting smell of this Whole-30 approved Mexican Beef Soup as it gently bubbles on the stove. Best part? It takes 30 minutes max, of actual hands-on cooking time!

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Loaded with vegetables like hunks of potato, carrots, celery, plus tender beef, this Caldo de Res receta (or recipe) is pure comfort food—and with zero gluten, low carbs, and no dairy—pretty healthy for you too.

Season with salt and pepper or a dash of hot sauce and serve with a few warm corn tortillas for a perfect simple meal.

Large bowls of Caldo de Res, or Puchero (as it’s sometimes called), is a satisfying dinner the whole family will love.

I first learned how to make this beef caldo when I worked as a Sous Chef at Mustard’s Grill in Napa Valley.

A white bowl with a blue rim filled with Caldo de Res, a Mexican beef and vegetable soup with beef, potatoes, carrots, and green beans.

During the winter months, a large pot of beef broth would be put on the stove early in the morning while the kitchen was busy prepping.

The cooks would add a bit of beef here, some vegetables there, so by lunchtime, the Cocido or soup, would be ready for everyone to have a quick bowl before service started.

It was the perfect way to sustain our hunger through the busy hustle and bustle of the day and also a great way to use up the odds and ends that were leftover from the kitchen prep.

To this day, I make the soup the same way. Especially on Sundays when I have lots of extra vegetables in the crisper that I need to find a home for.

what you need

A strainer full of raw beef shank being rinsed with running water.

If you live near a Latin market you will not have trouble finding center-cut beef shank which is what I use to make my beef and vegetable stew.

They should also sell a mixture of beef and bones and chunks of flavorful fat called, carne para caldo de res, or “Beef for Soup”, which is another way to go.

This makes a more authentic Caldo de Res, but it’s a little too fatty for my tastes.

If you can’t find either one use bite-sized beef stew meat and see if you can find an oxtail or beef bone to throw in for flavor.

As for the vegetables, the choice is yours. I switch it up depending on what is in season. Here are some of my favorite combos:

Squash, Corn, Green Beans (pictured)
Add tomato sauce to the broth with chayote and lime juice

how to make mexican beef and vegetable soup recipe

A blue pan filled with vegetables for the Caldo de Res, potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, celery, and yellow squash all cut into chunks.

This Caldo de Res recipe is a perfect place to practice your kitchen zen.

First of all it doesn’t require mere minutes of waiting but a few hours.

The longer the beef and bones simmer the richer the broth will become. But if you skimp on the time the flavor of the soup will sacrifice.

The beef shank or leg is pretty tough which means it needs a long time to gently simmer.

So give yourself plenty of time to prepare this soup. This is not a 30 minutes or less recipe.

Simmer the beef with the aromatics in a large stock pot for 2-3 hours to create a beautiful broth. Strain the broth if you want it super clear or just remove the beef and shred.
Add the heartier vegetables during the last 20 minutes of cooking time and cook until barely tender. If you are using green beans and sweet corn, add at the very end and cook for about 5 minutes.
Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with lots of lime wedges, hot sauce, and warm corn tortillas for serving.

what to serve with caldo de res

It really is a complete meal all on its own. You will often find it served with Mexican rice and warm tortillas on the side.

If you’d really like to round out the meal, make some chicharrones chips to snack on or dip into the soup and shake up a frosty Cadillac Margarita to go with it!

how long does it last

This recipe makes a lot of soup, which I love because I can save half and freeze it for another meal later on.

Let it cool until it is just warm, then transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid.

The soup will be good–actually, even better–the next day and keep well, covered in the refrigerator for up 5 days.

If you find you still have a lot of soup at the five day mark, you can transfer it to the freezer for later. The soup will keep in the freezer for up to six months.

other soup recipes you might enjoy

We are BIG TIME soup lovers in this house. Here are a few more of our favorites:

love caldo de res? me too!

I hope this Caldo de Res recipe, or Cosido recipe, has made you a believer in the power of home cooking. Please let me know if you give this one a try! Snap a pic and tag @holajalapeno or #holajalapeno on Instagram!

Caldo de Res {Mexican Vegetable Beef Soup}

Yield: Servings 8-10

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Mexican comfort food at its best. This Caldo de Res or Mexican Vegetable Beef Soup takes 30 minutes to put together and is the best way to warm up in winter.

Ingredients

For the soup:

4 pounds center-cut beef shank (with the bone) or beef stew meat. If you use beef stew meat you'll only need 2 1/2 pounds.
1 large white onion, chopped
3 tomatillos, husks removed and chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 cups of water
4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large waxy potatoes, such as Yukon golds, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 ears sweet corn, husked and cut into bite-sized rounds
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
3 small summer squash or zucchini, trimmed and cut into large chunks

For Garnish:

Instructions

Combine ingredients for the broth. Rinse beef and place in the largest soup pot you own. Add onion, tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Skim any foam that comes to the top and cover.
Simmer then add divide beef into smaller pieces. Let broth gently simmer for 2 hours or until beef is falling off the bone.
At this point you can strain the broth for a completely clear soup or remove the beef and blend the broth with a stick blender or in a conventional blender. This will give the broth extra flavor but it won't be clear anymore. The third option is to leave it as is for a more rustic soup. Once beef is cool enough to handle, remove the bones and divide meat into large pieces.
Add vegetables. Add celery, carrots and potatoes and let cook until they are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add sweet corn, green beans, and squash, and cook until they are cooked, but not mushy, about 5 minutes more.
Season. Taste and add more salt if needed (I ended up adding 2 more tablespoons).
Serve. Serve in large bowls with lime wedges, hot sauce, sliced jalapeños, and warm tortillas on the side.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 620Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 55g

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