Beef Vegetable Soup or Caldo de Res is a one-dish meal containing many food groups. It is an aromatic and very attractive dish that is delicious and quite easy to make. This Mexican recipe is a hearty soup loaded with beef and vegetables.
It’s made with beef shank and soup bones, cabbage, carrots, celery, potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes. It is best when slowly cooking the beef, bones, onion, and garlic for a few making a rich beef broth. The vegetables are then added and cooking it until the right amount of tenderness is achieved.
Serve your Caldo de Res with a lime wedge, tortillas, and some salsa for a truly unforgettable meal.
How to Store the leftovers
To maximize the shelf life of your Beef and Vegetable Soup, refrigerate it in a covered airtight container. Properly stored, it will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It will keep when frozen for about 4 to 6 months.
Making Beef and Vegetable Soup
Because Caldo de Res uses tougher cuts of meat, try cooking it in a crockpot or pressure cooker/Instant Pot. You will need to adjust the cooking times to fit the cooking utensil you are using. The instructions provided below are for on the stovetop in a large soup pot or dutch oven.
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Beef and Vegetable Soup
Step 1
- 11 cups water
Step 2
- 1 ½ lbs soup bones
- 1 ½ lbs beef shank bones
- ½ onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp salt
Step 3
- 1 corn on the cob cut into 3 chunks
- ½ head cabbage chopped
- 2 potatoes chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 Mexican zucchini chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ tsp safflower petals
- ¼ tsp whole coriander seeds crushed
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 3 limes cut into wedges
Step 4
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- limes cut into wedges
- flour tortillias warm
Directions to Make Beef and Vegetable Soup
Time needed: 3 hours and 55 minutes
Cooking Steps
- Heat the Water
Over high heat in a large stockpot, bring the water to a boil.
- Boil the Meat
Add bones, shank, onion, garlic, and salt to the water and boil for 10 minutes. Then lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours or until the meat on the bones is tender. Skim the excess foam from the top as it forms and discard it.
- Cook the Vegetables
Add the corn, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, tomato sauce, safflower petals, coriander seeds, and cilantro. Let it all cook for about 30 minutes until potatoes are soft but not mushy.
- Garnish and Serve
Garnish the Beef and Vegetable Soup with chopped cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime, a tortilla, and some salsa.
This recipe can be adapted to other types of meat, such as chicken or pork, and vegetables for a twist in flavors. Adjust times as necessary to achieve tender meat that falls off the bone.
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Beef and Vegetable Soup ~ Caldo de Res
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Ingredients
For the Broth
- 11 cups water
- 1 ½ lbs soup bones
- 1 ½ lbs beef shank bones
- ½ onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp salt
For the Soup
- 1 corn on the cob cut into 3 chunks
- ½ head cabbage chopped
- 2 potatoes chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 Mexican zucchini chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ tsp safflower petals
- ¼ tsp whole coriander seeds crushed
Garnish
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- limes cut into wedges
- flour tortillias warm
Instructions
Heat the Water
- Over high heat in a large stockpot, bring the water to a boil.11 cups water
Boil the Meat
- Add bones, shank, onion, garlic, and salt to the water and boil for 10 minutes. Then lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours or until the meat on the bones is tender. Skim the excess foam from the top as it forms and discard it.1 ½ lbs soup bones, 1 ½ lbs beef shank bones, ½ onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp salt
Cook the Vegetables
- Add the corn, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, tomato sauce, safflower petals, coriander seeds, and cilantro. Let it all cook for about 30 minutes until potatoes are soft but not mushy.1 corn on the cob, ½ head cabbage, 2 potatoes, 1 large carrot, 2 stalks celery, 2 tomatoes, ¼ cup tomato sauce, ¼ tsp safflower petals, ¼ tsp whole coriander seeds, 2 Mexican zucchini
Garnish and Serve
- Garnish the Beef and Vegetable Soup with chopped cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime, a tortilla, and some salsa.3 tbsp cilantro, limes, flour tortillias, ¼ tsp whole coriander seeds
Notes
- Serve with Mexican rice, salsa casera, and lime wedges on the side, and don’t forget the corn tortillas!
- Prepared soup can be frozen for up to three months.
- Anytime you prepare a soup recipe with tougher cuts of meat, you could cook the meat in a crockpot overnight or pressure cooker/Instant Pot (cover with plenty of water). Then, finish it on the stove top.
Nutrition
Featured Restaurant
El Apapacho
Calle 62 354 x 41 y 43, Centro
97000 Mérida, Yuc.
Mexico
El Apapacho offers Mexican food and also feeds the soul, heart, and brain. You can also visit our sister space and feminist bookstore.
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