Mexican Beef and Vegetable Soup

Why This Recipe Works

Mexico's version of beef and vegetable soup, caldo de res, is rich with spices, tender chunks of meat, and vegetables like tomatoes, corn, and squash. Our recipe captures the authentic flavors of this classic soup with a shorter cooking time. Our first step in streamlining the recipe was to eliminate bone-in cuts and focus on quicker-cooking boneless cuts. In the end, a beef chuck-eye roast proved to be our cut of choice—it was flavorful, tender, and juicy. We browned the meat and then set it aside while we sautéed our aromatics. We then added the broth (a combination of beef broth and chicken broth gave us the best flavor), returned the beef to the pot, and simmered everything until the meat was tender. Most authentic recipes call for chayote, a gourd-like fruit similar to a summer squash; easy-to-find zucchini made a perfect stand-in. Tomatoes and corn are another mainstay in the soup. Canned diced tomatoes provided a more reliable flavor than fresh, but fresh corn on the cob was preferred over frozen kernels. We also included carrots and red potatoes, which contributed pleasant earthiness. To maintain the rustic feel of the soup, we left the corn on the cob and cut the cobs into 1-inch rounds, and we cut the potatoes into large pieces. With a host of complex flavors and contrasting textures, our soup was now much less work than the original, but still just as hearty and delicious.