Caldo de Res, or Mexican beef soup, is a healthy and budget-friendly soup made with a flavorful beef broth and squash, corn, carrots, cabbage and potatoes.
It’s caldo de res season, friends!
There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of this brothy veggie-filled soup on a chilly day. Filled with hearty vegetables and made with bone-in beef shank, this soup is filled with vitamins and nutrients, along with lots of great flavor!
What is Caldo de Res?
Caldo de Res is a Mexican beef soup made with a flavorful beef broth and filled with lots of vegetables such as squash, corn, carrots, cabbage and potatoes. This soup uses bone-in beef shank, giving the broth a great layer of flavor from the marrow and tender beef.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bone-in beef shank: Caldo de Res traditionally uses bone-in beef shank, or chamberete, because of it’s use of meat, bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, all of which add great vitamins and nutrients to the bone broth. If you can’t find beef shank, you can use beef chuck or even ribs since they both have good ratios of fat.
- Vegetables: Caldo de Res usually features lots of healthy and hearty vegetables like ears of corn, zucchini, carrots, cabbage and potatoes.
- Garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, cilantro: These staple ingredients add great flavor to the soup broth.
- Limes and hot sauce: Garnish your Caldo de Res with lime to add some bright citrus flavor, and don’t forget the hot sauce for a spicy kick. I like using a few dashes of Tabasco, but you can use whichever brand you prefer.
How to make caldo de res
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add water, beef shanks, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat tender.
Step 2: Skim off and discard any white or brown foam floating at the top of the pot as well as the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Transfer the cooked bone-in beef shank to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3: Add the potatoes, corn, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, cilantro, and tomato paste to the broth. Stir together until the tomato paste has completely dissolved.
Step 4: Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to a low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
Step 5: While the vegetables are cooking, remove the bones and any tough sinewy pieces from the beef shank and discard. Cut the tender meat into small bite-sized chunks and add them back into the pot when the vegetables are fully cooked.
Stir everything together and taste. Season with more salt if necessary before serving.
How to serve caldo de res
I recommend serving the caldo in large bowls, making sure that each bowl gets a little bit of everything!
Garnish each bowl with more fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Bolillo or corn tortillas pair well with this soup, and make a great side to soak up some of the broth while eating.
It’s also common to serve Caldo de Res with a scoop of Mexican rice right in the bowl!
Tips and Substitutions
- Try to cut the vegetables in about the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand! Green beans, peas, peppers, and anything you’ve got in the fridge will work.
- If you can’t find bone-in beef shank, you can use bone-in beef chuck or ribs since they both have good ratios of fat. Make sure you use a cut of beef with bone because that’s what give the broth a wonderful flavor!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
To store, transfer soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To reheat, simply place the soup in a pot and heat it on the stovetop until warmed through. Alternatively, you reheat a bowl of soup at a time in 1-minute intervals. It should be heated through after 3 minutes or so.
To freeze, place the soup in an airtight container or a sealed freezer-safe bag. It can stay frozen for 3 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
More Soup Recipes
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 2 ½-3 pounds bone-in beef shank
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 medium carrots, sliced into thick coins
- 3 medium ears of corn, shucked and halved
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into eighths (Idaho, Russet or Yukon Gold)
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into thick chunks
- ¼ head green cabbage, cut into chunks
- 1 handful cilantro, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 limes, halved, for serving
- hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, add the water, beef shanks, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Skim off and discard any white or brown foam floating at the top of the pot as well as the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Transfer the cooked bone-in beef shank to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the carrots, corn, potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, cilantro, and tomato paste to the pot. Stir until the tomato paste has fully dissolved. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
- While the vegetables are cooking, remove the bones and any tough sinewy pieces from the beef shank and discard. Cut the tender meat into small bite-sized chunks and add them back into the pot when the vegetables are fully cooked.
- Stir everything together and taste. Season with more salt if necessary.
- Serve soup in large bowls, making sure that each bowl gets a little bit of everything. Top each bowl with more fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce if desired.
Isabel’s Tips:
- For easier serving, remove the cooked corn from the soup, cut off the kernels and add them back into the soup. Discard the cobs.
- Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand! Green beans, peas, peppers, and anything you’ve got in the fridge will work.
- If you can’t find bone-in beef shank, you can use bone-in beef chuck or ribs since they both have good ratios of fat. Make sure you use a cut of beef with bone because that’s what give the broth a wonderful flavor!
Nutrition Information
My 15 yr old granddaughter made this tonight. It was her first time making soup and it was sooooo delicious!!!!!!
We also made the Mexican rice to go with, OMG, was perfect!!!
Will definitely be making this again
This is the same way I make it, I learned from my mother. I did learn to cook the meat a little longer and add the bay leaves. Thanks for the information.
I made this caldo for my family, this is the first time I’ve made it exactly like the recipe says and my husband thought it was the best tasting Caldo I’ve ever made.
I just made your Caldo de Res and give it 5 stars! This is the same caldo I ate in Boyle Heights in my college days in LA in the 1980’s when we used to try all the neighborhood ethnic foods on the weekend. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Theresa, thank you so much!
My grandma made the best caldo. I make it, but it’s just not the same as hers. Tje ultimate comfort food with homemade tortillas.
Excellent!!! Brings back childhood memories. Thank you. 🥳
I just finished cooking it… amazing taste! Thank you. It’s a repeat!
Isabel, I hate to be the one to inform you, as I am not Mexican, but you have to start the beef shanks in hot oil. They need to be browned evenly on both sides. Then remove the meat and add the broth to the pan and release all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. The flavor from this browning process is priceless!!!
One of the trademarks of caldo de res is the clear and clean tasting broth, which is why you do not sear before making the broth, just like in other delicious soups like pho! Of course you can cook however you like, that’s the beauty of cooking! but the recipe is correct.
I have made a few of the recipes, they are simple and very easy to make. My family has enjoyed them so much, I will make more of them and take the credit, even though I tell them that they are your hard work and your passion. Thank you so much for sharing them.
I made this caldo and it was the best caldo I’ve ever made! My husband really liked it, in fact we finished it all which we never do whenever I make any kind of caldo. I made it exactly how your recipe says and it was fabulous.
Just made this and absolutely right in putting a bit of Tabasco sauce!
Husband loved it!
Soooo good wonderful receipe!
I made this for my whole family and we loved it! Definitely going to make this again soon 🙂
Hands down… the perfect recipe for Caldo de Res ✌🏼
Thank you so much!
Well, well, well…yet again…am making this recipe.
For the 10th time since I found it last summer!
Ms. Isabel…this is the best Caldo recipe I have ever used. Authentic!
Yum!
Respect!
Could I make this with Chicken?
Hi Sarah, there’s actually a chicken version! Here’s the recipe for Caldo de Pollo.
After I found and tried this recipe…it will be the ONLY one I use! The flavors are awesome and goes real well with crumbled queso casero rolled up in hot flour tortillas. Only change I made is to add 3 or 4 jalapeños (cut into thirds…leave the seeds) for a great kick (if you like it spicy)!
I make this about once a week or so.
Thanks for the awesome recipe. Comer bien, con mucho gusto!
I’m so happy you loved it, Jeff!
Thank you for the recipe.. will try it tonight.
how about Sonora Gallina pinta?
Got in a hurry n cooked everything together still came out good but a bit greasy for my taste is there any way to solve this?
Hi Jane! In steps 1 and 2 where you cook the beef and seasonings first before the vegetables helps with that!
I was so glad to find this recipe! I love caldo de res and caldo de pollo, but I’m alarmed by the high amount of sodium in some of their recipes. This one looks both tasty and healthy, and I look forward to making it this winter!
Thanks, Ethel. I really hope you like it!