“Cocido”, Caldo de res or “puchero” are some of the names this Beef and vegetable stew is known for in México, which, again, it is another meal we in inherited from Spain. This soup allows so many variations from the most simple broth with 2 or 3 vegetables and some herbs to the finest dish that includes different cuts of meat and a great selection of vegetables, that can be savored as a main dish or as an entrée dish.
Mexican Beef Soup Recipe | Caldo de Res Recipe
Caldo de res, cocido, puchero a Mexican beef and vegetable soup recipe
The vegetables vary depending on what region of México you are visiting. For example, you will find that Yuca will be added in Yucatán, Plantains are common in Tabasco, Garbanzos in most of central México and with a tomato “recaudo” in the Gulf of México. It is usually served with rice and in some regions, the meat and vegetables will be served on a separate plate.
Caldo de res is cooked almost daily at the local market kitchens and also in small family restaurants known for serving "Comidas Corridas". They serve this dish as an entrée or, if you prefer it, as the main dish. Some local markets sell the vegetables already cut and packaged for the cook’s convenience.
How to make Caldo de Res Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
I cooked the meat in a pressure cooker first for 35 minutes, then removed the meat and skimmed off the broth. You can also use you INSTANT POT.
- In a large pot place the meat and bones, corn, onion, garlic, and herbs. Add water and bring to boil and then turn heat to low simmering the broth for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. If you are cooking the meat in a pressure cooker cook for 35 minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- If you are adding the tomato sauce. Place the ingredients in your blender with ¼ cup of water and puree.
- Return the broth and meat back to simmering point and add the carrots and chayote; add the potatoes and keep cooking for 10 more minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauce if using, salt to taste and let it simmer until all the vegetables are cooked about 10 more minutes.
Serve in a large bowl and garnish with cilantro.
Mexican Beef Soup
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What do you like to add to your Beef and Vegetable Soup?
By the way, if you live another option for a Beef and Vegetable Soup, check my friend Colombia friend Erica Beef & Vegetable soup on her blog about Authentic Colombian Recipes.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
Mexican Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef shank bone-in (Some people use beef short ribs and beef chuck cut in large cubes)
- 1 ½ pounds marrow bones
- 4 cloves of garlic unpeeled
- ½ medium-sized white onion cut in 2 pieces
- 2 ears corn cut into 3 or 4 parts
- 1 large chayote peeled and cut into large cubes pit removed
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- ½ pound green beans trimmed and cut in half Optional
- 2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans or 1 can of garbanzo beans drained Optional
- 2 small Mexican squash or zucchini sliced or cubed
- ⅓ head of cabbage cut in large cubes
- 1 large plantain cut in slices optional
- 2 small white potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 sprigs of fresh mint
- 6 sprigs of cilantro
- Enough water to cover the meat and vegetables
- Salt to taste
For the sauce “recaudo”
- 2 medium size tomatoes cut in cubes
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- TO SERVE
- Chopped cilantro
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
- 1 serrano pepper finely chopped Optional. This is a personal preference
- Corn tortillas
Instructions
- In a large pot place the meat and bones, corn, onion, garlic, and herbs. If you prefer to tie the herbs together. Add water and bring to boil and then turn heat to low simmering the broth for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. Skimming the foam and fat off. Remove the garlic, onion, and herbs to leave a clear broth. If you have the time cook the meat and broth a day ahead to remove the fat when broth gets cold. If you are cooking the meat in a pressure cooker cook for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, if you are adding the tomato sauce. Place the ingredients in your blender with ¼ cup of water and puree. It will be added with the vegetables to the broth.
- Return the broth and meat back to simmering point and add the carrots and chayote; cook for about 15 minutes, add the potatoes and keep cooking for 10 more minutes making sure vegetables are still al dente. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauce if using, salt to taste and let it simmer until all the vegetables are cooked about 10 more minutes. It is important to cook the vegetables in stages to avoid overcooking some of them.
- Serve in a large bowl and garnish with cilantro. Place in your table along warm corn tortillas, and lemon wedges.
Curly
Super easy recipe to follow. I would advise using a pot with a capacity of at least 8 quarts, because it is a lot of ingredients. Delicious comfort food! La receta es muy fácil de entender. Pero asegúrense de utilizar una olla con capacidad de por lo menos 8 qts. ¡El caldo estuvo delicioso!
Clemie
I love caldo de res. My mom used to add apple wedges and it was delicious. My favorite part was spreading the tuétano on a corn tortilla with a little bit of salt. I would fold it and eat it like a taco. I’m not the greatest cook, but just reading your recipes brings back some wonderful memories.
Mely Martínez
Hello Clemie,
You just brought back memories of my childhood. I loved doing that tuetano taco with a sprinkle of salt.
Dani Ashlock
Made this for mis hijos after their first day of school today. I just let the meat and herbs slow cook all day - kept everything else the same. So good!!
Jezzy
Me encantan tus recetas Mely muy claras y con los ingredientes que puedes encontrar aqui en US. El nombre de tu pagina es muy acertado, Mexico en mi cocina! Vivo en Ohio y no es facil encontrar buena comida Mexicana.
Tu pagina me ha ayudado con recetas de "la abuela", que en ocasiones no podia replicar porque no conocia bien los de tiempos de coccion y cantidades de los ingredientes. Ademas, de 0tros platillos mas elaborados.
Gracias por compartirnos tu conocimiento de nuestras raices.
Mely Martínez
Hola Jezzy,
Que gusto saber que te han ayudado las recetas. Espero te quede rico el Caldo de Res!
Christine
Hi Mely, thanks so much for this recipe. I've tried other recipes on your site, and I've always been super impressed and pleased with the outcome. I've never cooked with marrow bones before, and I just wanted to ask about bone marrow preparation since this is my first time making this recipe. Would you recommend parboiling the bones or soaking the bones prior to using them for the caldo? I've seen other bloggers do this for bone marrow broth, but I don't know if it's necessary here. Would appreciate your thoughts - thank you in advance! <3
Mely Martínez
Hello Christine,
We usually cook the bones along with the meat.
Christine
Thank you, Mely! I just finished having two bowls of the caldo and it was superb. I made it with your Mexican style rice. SO good. I shared some with a family who's down with Covid, and they thought it was delicious as well. Thank you again!
Yvonne T Shelton
We made this last night. It was delicious, traditional taste as I remember from mi familia cooking as a young child. Mi esposo loved it as well!!
Gracias Mele!!
Liz V.
So delicious! The taste was spot on. I added quite a bit more meat to mine and didn’t go exact on the amount of veggies, but this recipe is perfect. I’m learning a lot of traditional Mexican dishes and this is a favorite.
Roses
Thanks you for your recipe. It's great My family love it.
Mely Martínez
Hello, Roses,
Thank you for trying it. Happy Cooking!
glen spencer
Hello Ms Martinez hope you and your family are doing well and safe I am making Caldo de Res as we speak the beef tomatoes carrots onions and I had some leftover celery and some Chipotle peppers it's all in the Crock-Pot thank you for putting your recipes out there in for the 17 plus recipes off your website that I downloaded into a Mexican food file on my phone have a really blessed day
Michael
It’s look like delicious. This is a good idea. I will definitely cook this on the weekends. Thanks you!
Jo Ann
Should cominos be added to flavor the soup?
Mely Martínez
Hello Jo Ann,
If you want to add the, you can.
Abby
I am really enjoying your authentic recipes. My sisters and I made the mistake of not getting my grandmothers recipes before she passed. Now we can begin to make everything we remembered . Your recipes are made just as we remembered them.
Have you written a cookbook with detailed instructions yet? It would be so much easier to look up a recipe that way.
Mely Martínez
Hello Abby,
I'm working on that book project. Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy cooking the recipes.