Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

And 5 more stars! This recipe has the best directions I've seen on this site! Remember, this soup is supposed to have chunks of veggies, so don't go crazy chopping everything into little morsels! This makes ALOT of soup...maybe 8 Aztec warriors could polish this off, but, heck, it get's better every day. I used 1 beef shank and 1 lb of boneless short rib meat cut into 1/2 cubes. I love the chayote, but if you can't find it, substitute 2 med. zucchini chunked, but don't put this in until you add the cabbage or it will over cook. I used 4 chunks of frozen corn-on-the-cob defrosted for the fresh corn. My only change was to also add 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce and a packet of Goya Sazon (if you read any of my reviews, it seems to find it's way into most everything). All you need for a complete meal is corn bread or garlic bread (yeah, excuse me for mixing ethnicities, but if it tastes good, do it!!) Thanks again for a fabulous recipe and for your attention to detailed instruction!

MY HUSBAND LOVES THIS RECIPE...BUT HE EATS IT WITH A FRESH JALAPENO DICED FINE TO ADD IN TO YOUR BOWL AT SERVING TIME AND A SQUIRT OF LIME IN THE BROTH! ALSO WE USE TOMATO SAUCE OR FRESH TOMATOES IN IT THIS DEPENDS ON THE SEASONS...WE DONT USE THE PICKLED JALAPENOS,AND WE ADD THE FRESH CILANTRO INTO THE SOUP AND THE END OF COOKING WHILE HEATING UP THE CORN TORTILLAS!BUT I NEED TO SAY THAT A SPRINKLE OF SALT AND A SQUEEZE OF LIME ON YOUR TORTILLA BEFORE YOU ROLL IT UP GIVES IT THAT ULTIMATE TASTE OF MEXICO!!!

I LOVE THIS DISH. I ADD GARLIC AND COMINO TO MINE. I ALSO ADD KNOR CONSOMATE FOR A GREATER TASTE. I ALSO ADD ZUCHINI SQUASH TO MINE AT THE END. I MAKE A PAN OF MEXICAN RICE FOR A MORE AUTHENTIC TASTE. ALSO, DONT FORGET THE CORN TORTILLAS AND THE HOMEMADE MEXICAN SALSA. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOSO!!!

Growing up in a large Mexican family in Texas, this was the "Sunday" soup of my childhood. My grandmother made this every Sunday for the family. We ate it with warm corn tortillas, sliced avacados and fresh salsa. None of us were fond of cilantro or chayote, so they were never in our caldo pot. Thanks for sharing the recipe...it brings back some wonderful memories!!!

The butcher recommended beef ribs which turned out amazingly moist and flavorful. This recipe is delicious. Will be making it again and freezing some this time.

My husband is mexican and he thought this tasted just like his mom's (big compliment)! This is a definite saver. This type of soup is really good with chicken and fish also (just change the stock that is used).

Great recipe, I live in Chicago where we have an abundance of great Mexican restaurants, and my pals all think this is the best they've ever had! I used the beef shank bone, but also added 1lb of finely chopped beef. When I added the stock, I also threw in two cloves of slightly crushed garlic. Instead of using just cold water, I added 2 additional cans of stock, 3 cups water, and two packets of tomato & cilantro Sayzon. I'll be making this again and again!

This is wonderful my husband and his family are from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico and i made this and invited them all over. They loved it!!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

Very delicious and authentic. I substituted the salt for two cubes of Knorr brand beef bullion cubes. I also added two large fresh chopped tomatoes instead of the canned ones(since my grandmother used to make it that way). I used large chunks of beef stew meat (boneless) as well.

I'm a black woman. My husband is Mexican and grew up in a traditional mexican (food wise) house hold. He told me about a beef soup that his grandma would make and it had squash, corn, tomatoes, etc! So I researched. I found this recipe and made it for him as a surprise (hoping and praying that it was what he was yearning for. When he tasted this Caldo de Res, he said it brought him back to his younger days. He felt that it was just as good as his grandma used to make it. He invited his brothers and sisters over and they all loved it. This recipe is a keeper for my Mexican! Thanx ALOT!

I made this for my Spanish class in high school. My teacher liked it so much she asked for the recipe. My dad gave it a 10 and he's tough.

This recipe is excellent, very authentic! Authentic Caldo de Res is not supposed to be spicy. I used 3 lbs. of beef shank and boiled it for about 4 hours until it fell off the bones. Then I scooped out the bones and trimmed most of the fat. I sauted 2 cloves of chopped garlic with the onion and added about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. I used small ears of frozen corn and skipped the chayote and used 3 potatoes. Next time I think I will throw in a zucchini. I served this with warm flour tortillas, some Mexican rice and homemade chile'. My husband LOVED it! Thanks so much for the great recipe.

Most excellent soup ! For you out there that do not know how to follow a receipe,or use the correct ingredients and then give it a so so rating...and then claim you are an expert cook......you need to get back to the basics. Find another hobby...you are waisting your time. I had nothing but raves about this soup.

This is similar to the caldo recipe that was handed down in my husband's family. The only difference is their recipe doesnt include tomatoes. Very good on a cold winter day. It is also easy to make in a crock pot. Just skip browning the beef and onions if you are in a hurry, throw all the ingredients together into a crock pot and let it cook on high for 8 hours.

This was not good and alot of work!

Taste just lkie my Favorite resturants version !!!! wonderful on a cold night.

Amazing 5 start recipe BUT please note that I made a few changes of my own. First I used 2-1/2 lbs of beef stew cubed meat instead of the beef shank. I added 1/4 tsp garlic powder to the meat as it browned in addition to salt and pepper and I used 1 tbsp onion powder since my husband doesn't like onions. I also used 3 cans of beef broth and a bit of water to cover the meat and 1/8 tap cumin. 4 cups water, added 2 extra potatoes, 2 zucchini instead of chayotes and 1 extra carrot. Oh and added 1/4 tap garlic salt for taste preference. I didn't make any of the toppings because we just ate it with some spanish rice and a bit of Louisiana. All in all took about 3 hours and AMAZING! This was SO good it exceeded my expectations. Great hearty soup. I made this on a cold, rainy Sunday at about 3 and we ate ate it for the rest of the day! It was that good. Thank you for sharing!

This was delicious! I live in a border town and get to eat authentic mexican food and this recipe is as good as I have had. I didn't have chayotes and Cumin is a must in mexican dishes, so I added 2 tsp. when I added the onion. If you have spanish rice on hand, add it to your bowl when serving. I'm so glad to have a Caldo recipe! It's a keeper. Thank you!!

this recipe was so awesome, i just added more water/broth, alot more potatos and threw in some chopped celery and about a tbsp of cummin. IT WAS DELICIOUS!

All I can say is ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE!!! This was not only the most beautiful soup I've ever made, but by far the most tasty! The lime and cilantro really make this soup, otherwise it just tastes like vegetable beef soup. Cumin as well is a necessity. Makes a lot, but so good. Looking forward to leftovers, as I'm sure when the flavors sit overnight, will be even more delicious!

This was just like mom used to make! I added a can of tomatoe sauce, and zuccini squash instead of the chayote.

"Weston Price style:" use beef bone broth made separately; use tallow for frying onions; add up to four chopped roasted (and peeled) poblano peppers at the very end; garnish well with lime juice at the end. If you strip half the corn kernels from cobs and cut the rest of the cobs into 1" wide wheels, the soup thickens up as it cools and is easier top eat for potluckers. Also, try using fresh tomatoes not canned. Excellent!

Wonderful on a cold winters night! I did as suggested and cooked the meat for 2-3 hours. Meat fell off bones! I like it a little spicier so I used a can of Rotel instead of plain tomatoes. Worked wonderful. Had leftovers for almost a week! Will def make again...probably next weekend! :>)

I wish I could back up the other reviews, but this came out completely bland. I used no water and all beef broth, but after adding bouillon cubes, salt, cayenne, garlic, cumin, etc., nothing could make this a yummy soup. I did cook this in a crockpot, but I still browned the meat and onions first, which should have helped boost the taste. After two days of sitting (that usually increases flavor) it was still bland. If you like strong flavors, this may not be for you. Thanks anyway.

This was wonderful! My Hispanic friend made this for me before but I didn't get the recipe. This was very close, though I don't think she uses tomatoes. I couldn't find beef shank so I used about a lb of beef marrow soup bones and then another pound or so of beef stew meat. I also added jalapeno when I put in the corn and potatoes to give it a little kick and a bit of cumin as the other reviewers suggested. The flavor was superb, the broth to die for. The SO raved about it though he didn't "get" the corn cob in there. "What's that for? It's like soup but with a big chunk of corn in there." I disagree and love the idea that while eating and slurping such deliciousness one can take a break and eat one of my all time favorite things: corn on the cob! Fantastic, five stars all the way.

I seasoned a little more to taste but this is a great base recipe!

Just like my grandma used to make! It does taste better and better every day, and saving the corn on the cob for the last is the best part ! We never put potato in ours, used squash instead. I did add 2 tsp cumin, and used Rotel tomatoes. Hadn't had chayotes in years, they give just a slight bit of sweet. Serviced with fresh cilantro, lime and fresh jalapenos if you like some spice. Thank you for this recipe, haven't had good caldo in many years and can't wait to make it again !

This was good, but a bit bland before adding in salt, cumin and a few other spices. The meat turned out super tender and tasty, but the broth was really disappointing. I used frozen cut corn on the cobbs and didn't like that either. Too messy. Maybe next time I'll use just regular kernals instead.

I made this recipe exactly like it says and it was GREAT! The only thing that I would change is add a little bit more meat and slice the cabbage up in smaller pieces. Definately a keeper, I will make it again real soon.

I really like this soup - it is easy, I really didn't change anything except add some cumin, and I pulled the fat off the bones before I cooked them. What makes it good is the fresh ingredients added at the last. I left the corn on the cob and cut it into thirds like it said, it's like a little extra treat when you're through eating the soup. It is mild flavored - not spicy. The only thing I didn't add was the radishes, only because I forgot to buy them.

like, oh wow

This soup was AMAZING! My boyfriend rated it as "best ever," and that says a lot because we make a lot of soup in our household. The only thing I changed was adding some extra broth because I like brothier soups. This is one I'll make again and again!!

I make this in the crockpot and add 3-4 tbsp of butter to the pot. I serve it with fresh-squeezed lime and lemon. It is just like my favorites "mom-n-pop" Mexican restaurant here in Texas. We love it!

This is a comforting, down home beef stew. There's no spice or seasoning other than the beef and vegetable flavor. Some would call it bland, but I call it comforting. Not all Mexican dishes are loaded with spice.

Yummy!

This is better than what I get at the restaurant. Only thing I did different was I added 2 tsp of cumin.

I love this soup ! It tastes like the 'Cadillo soup' from my favorite Tex Mex restaurant. So flavorful and delicious ! I topped the soup with crumbled tortilla chips, and my boys loved it ! I didn't use Chayote. Instead I substituted with zucchinis.

This recipe is very much like what I grew up -- really yummy with one necessary change: to HAVE really tender meat (edible, actually) you have to let the meat simmer for 3 - 4 hours. If you made this soup and enjoyed it when barely cooked meat, then you'll love it them its falling off the bone!

SO GOOD. It is a must to use cumin, but only 1/4 of a teaspoon

This recipe is absolutely delicious! It was so easy and came out just like my grandma used to make in El Paso. I love it with a side of mexican rice, corn tortillas and lots of lime. Love it!

worth 10 stars better than most restraurants as written. I added 2 crushed garlic cloves because I like garlic. Excellent taste easy to make Very easy to eat as a main entree or soup before dinner I Love this soup

This was sort of a "potpourri" soup. Some of this and some of that. Loved all the veggies. I cut the recipe in half and it still made enough for 8 so I'm putting some in freezer for later.

Make sure the potatoes are cut in small pieces so they can cook better, and next time i would put them a little earlier. I also added the knorr suiza seasoning and some cumin. This is a great recipe!

I've made clado before and always so bland but i tried it this was and wow was great thanks my family loved it;-)

My family and I absolutely loved this dish! we just used kernel corn to make it easier to eat while hot. we also used a couple more chayotes cause we love squash. as is said in hawaii 'broke da mouth'

I loved this recipe. Reminds me of the soup my mom used to make all the time. Caldo de Res is actually from all over Latin America not only Mexico :)

I have been making caldo since I can remember, but never like this.... the beef broth adds an excellent flavor to it.... I changed it a little I used beef chuck boneless and a bag of frozen corn I followed the rest of the recipe it is soo good my family loves mexican food and this was a true hit.

This is a great recipe because you don't need to change much. I used 1 lb of beef shanks (on the bone) and 1 lb of lean stew meat. Since I used a pressure cooker, I adjusted the recipe to 4 cups of beef broth. Basically, I followed other pressure cooker stew recipes by dredging the meat in seasoned flower, then browning in batches. Next, I sauted the onions and garlic. After the onions were browned, I added the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Cooked it for 15 minutes after it pressured, then added the veggies and cooked for another 10 minutes. It was thicker than most people may like it, so a few cups of water could have been added as well. I personally like thicker soups, so loved the flavor.

easy to make and delish!

I made this as written and it was delicious. In the future, because I will make this again, I will use a bag of frozen corn instead of on the cob. I will use 1/2 the cabbage and cut it and the zucchini into smaller pieces. I will double the cilantro added to the soup, add additional stew meat, and 2 packets sazon. Wow, I know it seems like I am changing alot but really these changes will not alter the flvor of this delicious soup. It will make it less messy to eat and my son likes extra meat. Thank you for sharing a great soup.

This was great!! I added cumin, as another reviewer suggested, as well as a couple cloves of garlic, minced. YUM!!!!

I made this last night and my family loved it. Excellent recipe. Probably the best soup I've ever made. I didn't use the beef bone, I used boneless flanken rib meat and cut it into 1/2 inch strips and it came out wonderfully.

This turned out really good. My mother-in-law was upset when she found out I was making caldo de res from a recipe, but when she tasted it she was perfectly happy!

This is a wonderful recipe. I didn`t add tomatoes altogether with meat, but later (~30 min. after meat simmering). I didn`t find chayotes, so omitted them. Very good soup, will make again.

I used two packets of sazon and chicken instead of beef. I also only used a 1/4 head of cabbage and frozen corn instead of corn on the cob. It was delicious, but it does make a lot! I had leftovers after serving to 6 people

great recipe! It was a big hit. I will definitely make this one again.

It is best to have a soup base for this soup, as it gives the soup more flavor. Please note, Caldo de Res Actually translates to "beef soup." This soup is a staple through All of latin america.

Added: Lime Corn Tortilla Chips and Hot sause to give it a little kick. It was delicious. Made enough to take to lunch for the week.

Awesome!!! Added some ground comino and garlic powder and left out the jalapenos.

Delicious! I use beef chuck cut into big chunks. I also make my own salsa to spoon into the soup. Serve with hot flour tortillas. Tastes better the next day.

Absolutely wonderful, we loved it. It was very flavorful and healthy. I did use zucchini in place of the chayotes and used frozen corn instead of corn on the cob. I am sure it would be great either way. Great recipe thanks!

My wife is from El Salvador and 2 years ago her aunt made this soup, so about 6 months later I decided I was going to make this soup for the entire family. This recipe is now a staple in our home and I make it on a regular basis. This truly is a very user friendly recipe and delivers a wonderful soup that is even better the next day! Thanks, John

This is a great recipe! My husband loves this and eats it with a little lime squeezed on top. I followed it to a "t". Just amazing!!

this soup was delicious,the whole family had seconds on a cold rainy day.changed a couple things,used big beef short ribs and zuchini instead of chayote.great stuff,enjoy

My husband is from Mexico and he said this is exactly like the food he ate when growing up. I'm from the US and this soup is freak'n good!

This soup is fantastic as is and is well-deserved of 5 stars. I kicked it up a notch by adding half a teaspoon each of chipotle powder and cumin. I had also made a roast the day before which I diced and used as the meat. This will likely become a staple soup. Thanks!

This is sooooooo good! The recipe says to serve the bones in your bowl but I pulled those out and the round fat and gristle that were attached to the bone. They just were not look appetizing and I was already throwing a new dish to my family. I cooked pretty much as the recipes said with only the addition of some cumin (as other reviewers suggested) and a can of the HOT rotel. That one can gave the whole soup a nice kick. Plus, I probably added to the cooking time quit a bit just making sure my meat and then the veggies were tender. I used all the toppings suggested, I didn't need the jalepeno though because of the rotel. Was really surprised at how good the squeeze of lime complimented the dish. This is an excellent dish, not typical, very surprising wonderful flavors.

Excellent recipe, but next time I think I would add a little more meat.

This has become our family's favorite during the cold months. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Mom made this for us growing up. I've revised using short ribs and any cut of roast on sale. Just ask the butcher to cut into stew meat. I also add celery stalks and bay leaf. Cumin is also necessary. I used wedges of cabbage at the end and zucchini squash and it turns into a robust vegetable beef soup. Don't forget the corn on the cob, I keep some in the freezer. One more tip, we sometimes serve on top of a scoop of white rice if we don't have enough soup. Deelicious

Excellent

Real comfort food & the recipe made PLENTY - enough to share with a couple of friends and neighbors who all loved it.

This was one of my favorite soups growing up. For beef, I use beef short ribs and only use shanks if the short ribs don't have enough meat on them. It gives it a better flavor,but you do need to skim the fat off the soup after it cooks(it's also easily removed after the soup has been placed in the fridge). You need to brown the meat well for flavor before adding any liquid. This is a good Caldo de Res recipe and everyone who loves beef soup should try this at least once.

WOW! Great soup. I made a double batch for our Cooking club dinner. It was a Mexican theme dinner and had way over 50 people show up. I stayed as close as possible to the recipe but had to make a few changes. I used 20oz of frozen corn instead of cobs. I thought with the small sample bowls the corn on the cob would have been a little unmanageable and used zucchini instead of the chayotes. getting hungry again writing this! I then added about 6 stocks of celery, 3 very large Russet potatoes, half a dozen medium carrots and then added the cabbage. SPICES..... I didn't get too carried away but when I tasted the soup towards the end I felt it just needed something more. I went light on the salt from the beginning just so I could sneak up on it rather than finding out it was too salty. I added about 5 beef bullion cubes (I already had 6 cups of beef broth in the pot) about 2tsps. Chile powder, maybe 1tsps, of cayenne pepper, and about 2 Tbsp. black pepper. It STILL need something. I ended up putting in a tsp of paprika and THAT did it! I should have listened to the one reviewer that said this recipe would fill 8 Aztec warriors. My "doubled" recipe almost filled up my 16qt soup pot!! With over 25 dishes and pupus (Hawaiian for appetizers) there was just too much food! So I ended up bringing almost 2 gallons of soup! Good thing the soup was good and I really love leftovers. I'm sure it will freeze well. I paired this up with some wonderful honey cornbread from this site and got a l

I was craving this soup, that my grandma used to make when I was a kid. Overall, made for an AMAZING meal that reminded me of cold sunday afternoons spent watching Sabado Gigante with my abuelita. I didn't give it five starts because I thought it was a bit bland when I followed the directions as is. First off, I couldn't find beef shank at my local big box grocery store, so I went with a small chuck roast augmented with cut beef ribs. Instead of plain diced tomatoes, I used Del Monte diced tomatoes with green chiles. I also added half a can of tomato sauce when I added the vegetables to give it more color and flavor. Also, the chayote was too expensive for my taste, so I went with zucchini squash instead.

I agree with the other reviewers who said the recipe needs garlic and cumin. It is just a basic vegetable soup without those flavor notes. We also added oregano to give the soup more of a Mexican flavor. It is a delicious soup but gets four stars becase it lacks "Mexican" seasonings.

This was wonderful, but I did substitute a few things since I didn't have evrything on hand. I know I chopped my veggies into smaller pieces than the recipe called for. I used leftover roast that I had in the fridge and I used all beef broth instead of water. I really think what makes this outstanding is the fresh lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno peppers which I stirred in just b4 serving. Without these ingredients, it wouldn't be worth making. I will make this again.

Delicious... I only had chicken broth but added some beef flavoring in with the meats and it tasted just fine. Also added a fresh jalapeno and small chile when I put in the cabbage. The advice many people gave to add 1/4 t cumin was spot-on as well.

This is an awesome recipe!!!

i cannot stress enough how amazing this was! i made as follows, but used about 75% vegetable broth, and 25% water. i couldn't find chayotes, so subbed zucchini as recommended. i will definitely make again... once i get through all these leftovers :)

Very good. Didn't change a thing.

So amazingly delicious ! Used cherry tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes because I had them on hand.

great

Excellent! We all loved it, great soup!

This was excellent and was well worth the three or so hours it took to make.

I love this soup, my mom has been making it for years and looking at the ingredients in this recipe, it's very similar. Thanks for sharing!

This was my first try at Caldo de Res... I was nervous making it. Hoping it would taste as traditional as my friends family make it. it was perfect! i did a little tweaking to suit my family's taste and it was awesome! thank you so much for this!!! now i don't have to wait until a friend brings it along or buy it at the local Mexican Market! thanks a bunch

This was more flavorful than I expected. We used stew meat (we are lazy cooks), and it worked well.

This recipe is very delicious and authentic. Love it!!

Too good for words!! Use a small head of cabbage tho. Otherwise, make exactly as is. Delicioso!!

Best flavor soup I've had in a long time!!

This is just like my mother-in-law used to make.

This was out of this world! I substitited zucchini for the chayotes, and added a few seasonings (garlic, cumin, and Goya adobe seasoning). I also added a couple of squirts of lime juice from concentrate to the entire pot. Otherwise, followed to the letter, and it was to die for! I thought my picky eater would turn his nose up because of all the veggies, but he ate two bowls, which is saying a lot for him. Will definitely make again! Thank you!

This was a GREAT SOUP!!! My husband likes it to.

This was a greatttt recipe!! It is perfect just the way it is. I did add 2 cloves of garlic to the pot and some cumin but that is the only thing I did different. I made spanish rice and warmed up some tortillas on the burner and my family ate this soup up!

I loved this! I made it for my roommates and it filled them up (which is rare)! Its very hearty!!! Also for you non-cabbage lovers out there we skipped that part and substituted an extra potato with an extra cup of broth. Also Monterrey Jack is a great topper!!!

Very, very athentic, but I agree, you must add cumin and a little garlic!!! Our family loved it!

THE BEST Cocido recipe out there ! I only enhanced it by adding 1 Tablespoon of cumin. Just marvelous!

Was easy to do and very good.