Mexican Beef Soup Recipe
“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.
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 Mexican Beef Soup Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
- 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.
Caldo de res, Cocido 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 vegetables such as squash, corn, chayote, carrots, etc.
- 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
- 1/2 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
- 1/3 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
- 2 medium size tomatoes cut in cubes
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- Garnish
- Chopped cilantro
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
- Corn tortillas
- 1 serrano pepper finely chopped Optional. This is a personal preference
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Serve in a large bowl and garnish with cilantro. Place in your table along warm corn tortillas, and lemon wedges.
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.
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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
If you like our recipes follow us on Instagram @mexicoinmykitchen
Everything looks delicious and fresh. Thank you! My family love it!
yes i love it! gonna try this soon!
Un blog verdaderamente delicioso, felicidades mil gracias por compartir estas delicisas, saludos.
This looks definitely heartwarming! It has so many flavors in it, which makes it a healthy winter soup.I love how veggies and beef are combined in this soup, so filling! YUM!
Yum, this caldo looks soooo good! My mom makes one of the best caldos de res ever. She never used plantain and did not put tomato sauce neither. You cook so much like my mom and I bet your caldo is way up there with the best! Take care.
And I'm even happy to find that you've posted Caldo de Res. Mi esposo was just talking about his mami's version and I was thinking of making it…now I have an amazing guide! Thank you.
I love your photos, they make everything look so incredible like it's sitting right in front of me! In which case I would've happily grabbed a warm bowl and devoured away… lol.
oh wow this looks great we had it in Florida last week and I was looking for a recipe looks fab will make it for sure
Rebecca
Your cocido looks delicious, I love cocido. I'll have to try your recipe soon. YUM!
the broth looks so yummy and frothy. The meat looks perfectly tender. I always use my pressure cooker, always!
Hi Mely! I'm so happy that you shared your Caldo de Res ..it's the perfect fit! 🙂
Hola Mely! Soy su nueva seguidora. Me encanta su blog! Gracias por compartir tan bonitas recetas.
mmmm… qué rico y con este frillito !!! sí que se antoja!! y luego el tuétanito en una tortilla con limón y sal!!
Gracias
Mely ya estamos en la emporada de CALDOS! Yo también re publiqué mi COCIDO el caldo de res de mi mamá ya que era una de las recetas perdidas en mi blog. El tuyo se ve delicioso con plátano incluido!
Un abrazo!
Thanks all for your kind comments. Love all of the,.
Have blessed day!
Gracias a todos por sus amables comentarios, Cuidense y que tengan un dia padrisimo lleno de bendiciones.
Mely
cocido..que rico..especialmente en estos dias tan frios.
Looks amazing and I bet it's comforting and delicious.
Plan B
Hola Dama,
Me imagino que tu debes de hacer un buen caldo despues de ver lo que cocinas.
Saludos!
Hello Chef Bee,
I read you are having a giveaway. Good luck to the winner.
The soup is really delicious,
Take care.
Mely
I love all the different elements of this dish – I can tell it is worth the time and energy to make it. It is comfort food at its best. I have never eaten plantains in a soup – how interesting! Thanks for sharing this with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop!
Mely, What a MOUTH-WATERING dish! The meat looks so tender…just beautiful!
Todo super fresco, te quedo tremendo 🙂
Abrazotes, Aldy.
Mely, con el fresco que ya está haciendo, esta sopita está perfecta!
besos
Gaby
hi! i love to make this soup, too! the best trick i have found is to simmer the meat, bones, tomato, onion, garlic, seasonings, carrots and celery for a few hours before bed. in the morning i skim off the fat, put aside the meat, and strain and toss the veggies. i put half of the broth in the fridge to use for sauces, rice, etc. during the week. the other half i use for the day's meal, adding more tomato, corn, green beans, carrots, celery, the meat, etc.
thanks so much for your great recipes! as an american living in baja california, it's wonderful to have recipes with ingredients i can actually find in the markets here!
Hello Kristen,
What part of Baja do you live in? I love to go there for vacations.
Saludos,
Mely
i lived in playas de rosarito for my first 10 years and moved to ensenada about a year and a half ago. Your recipe is exactly like the ones we eat here in Mexico.
Hi Kisten,
Los Cabos is my favorite place to go on vacation. I had been in la Paz before but the best memories are from Los Cabos the beach, the resorts and the food are great. I love the small town feeling and that the resorts are private and away from the town.
The goos think about Ensenada is that is close to San Diego.
Thanks for coming back.
Have a great week.
Mely
Mmmmmm a mi familia le encanta el caldo de res, especialmente en estos días fríos. Aunque no había visto que llevaran la rebanada de plátano, al menos en estos rumbos no se acostumbra.
Ya me antojé!
Thank you so much for sharing your receta. I just finish making it. I am pregnant and I had the cravings for this caldo but I had no idea how to make it. Thanks to you my caldo is so good and me and my baby we are happy. We love it.
Hello Anonymous,
I am so glad you enjoy it! 🙂
Have a great day!
how can I print your recipe? Every time I had to make it, I have to come back to your website.
Hello Anonymous,
Click on the green "Print Friendly" widget. There you can edit the pictures and if you only want to print the recipe ingredients and procedure.
I changed somethings around on the blog some weeks ago and the original print widget was erased.
Thanks for letting me know.
Happy cooking!
Mely
Tried it.
Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for posting and bringing
Back memories of my beloved gramma.
I love your recipes! My mouth waters just reading them lol. I'm going to try at least one of your recipes a week. Thanks for sharing!
What a great recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I loove this recipe. I grew up in a household where both my parents were cooks. Being that my mom is from El Salvador there is things she added to her Mexican dishes that gave it a punch. For a cocido she would always add yucca. It just gave it a little flavor that I loooove and the caldo with the yucca was just toooo bomb. I don't know if it's me but I love caldo d res the next day when all the veggie and meat have fermentated and the actual soup is thicker.. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe you are an amazing cook.
Que receta tan mas sabrosa, mi abuela nos preparaba un cocido delicioso. Y tu recete quedo deliciosa!
We made this recipe and it's totally a repeat. it was delicious. we cut the time in half by making the stock in our awesome Elc pressure cooker. Suggestions. The plantain requires 30 minutes and the Mexican squash 10. Skip the hot peppers if you don't like hot.
I made this whole recipe in my instant pot. I did not add the plantains or the garbanzo beans. I didn’t remember those in my grandmothers Cocido. Man it was good. Thank you for the recipe! I’ve been craving this for months.
Excellent recipe! Back in 1995, I had this dish in a very simple restaurant in Michoacan. It was beautifully seasoned, but I couldn’t identify what made it so special, so I asked the cook. It was pimienta gorda (allspice). Since the I always put a berry or two in my beef stews, and I am transported back to that tiny diner. I should add that the tortillas were also the best I have ever had – and I lived in Mexico for over 20 years!
Hello Gina,
Great tip! Thank you for sharing it!
Happy cooking!
I love this soup it is my favorite Mexican soup. With rice, bean and tortilla’s a great meal for the whole family. I must say, you have the best authentic Mexican recipes on the web.
Hello Sharyn,
This soup means comfort food for many of us Mexican families. Thank you for your kind comment.
Looks amazing and very authentic but when I try it I will add a few berries of allspice because the best caldo de res I ever had in Mexico was in a humble fonda in Michoacan and when I asked the lady why it was so good, she said her secret was allspice, “just a couple of berries”, she added. Since then I add it to my Canadian boiled beef and it does make a difference.
Hello Gina,
The addition of the allspice berries must be a regional thing since allspice is not commonly used on this soups. I bet it gives a great flavor to the soup. Thanks for the tip, I will try it next time.