Caldo de Res is usually a long-simmered beef Mexican soup made with shank, but today I wanted to show you a shortcut Caldo de Res you can get on the table quickly. And not to worry guys, I know I’ve been posting a lot of Mexican food! I’ll be mixing things up this week just in case you’re not the fan I am!

Shortcut Caldo de Res

Shortcut Caldo de Res has all the elements & flavor of the festive Mexican soup. It’s brimming with beef & corn along with onion, celery, cabbage, and tomatoes, This is an easier to eat and easier to make version of the traditional; perfect for a cool spring day and perfect for a family.

About Shortcut Caldo de Res:

What makes this soup really stand out is that I shortcut using some of the beef & juices from my Instant Pot Chipotle’s Barbacoa. The same thing can be done with a bit of leftover from my Mexican Shredded Beef, Slow Cooker Barbacoa or my Mexican Pot Roast. You can do the same with any Mexican shredded beef recipe of your own.

Those recipes are linked at the bottom of the post. While any slowly braised beef dish with Mexican flavors will work in Caldo de Res, I like the Barbacoa for its basic flavors; Caldo de Res isn’t hot or spicy and the veggies in this soup shine. But don’t get me wrong, the more complex flavors other beef recipes will add to this soup will be fantastic, just a little different.

If you’ve landed here and don’t have any beef to start with, simmer a little thinly sliced beef until tender and use store-bought broth as a shortcut. You won’t get quite the flavor that comes from using the beef & juices leftover from a long-braised Mexican beef dish but it’s still going to be delish.

Shortcut Caldo de Res

Saving Time on Shortcut Caldo de Res:

Since this recipe really is a shortcut, starting your soup with the end results of another meal will let you get you Shortcut Caldo de Res on the table in minutes instead of hours!

Best of all, it’s going to have such a deep, complex flavor that anyone would think you’ve made the traditional version of this Mexican Beef Soup – which takes hours to simmer since it starts out with meaty shank bones. It’s hard to say no to that!

Variations on Shortcut Caldo de Res:

The ingredients I used are pretty standard, and pretty much what I can pick up at my grocery any time of the year.

Some Caldo de Res can include Chayote or Zucchini, and most it seems, have sweet corn sliced on the cob into discs. If it’s late summer and you have fresh sweet corn use that!

Instant Pot Chipotle Barbacoa Beef

Saving Money on Shortcut Caldo de Res:

Depending on where you live, making a good beef stock or broth can be pretty pricey. Choose a good store-bought brand, and stock up during sales. You’ll find some of the best sales on stock around holidays, particularly around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Keep track of the pricing in your area for basic pantry ingredients like beef stock or chicken stock and canned tomatoes or vegetables. When they’re at their low, especially if you cook with these ingredients all the time, buy enough to last to the next great sale. Don’t buy a can or two, buy dozens!

Basic items like onions, celery and carrots don’t often go on “sale” (the exception may be around holidays & carrots at St. Patrick’s) and are harder to keep for any length of time. If you’re not using them in time, chop them up and saute and toss them in the freezer for your next soup.

Potatoes and cabbage do go on sale regularly in my area, so I pick up a few extra when they’re on sale. Cabbage is a space hogger in the fridge, so I buy 1 extra but the potatoes I store in a brown paper bag, away from onions, in a cool spot. They’ll usually last several weeks. If I buy too many, I’ll turn them into my Freezer Twice Baked Potatoes. It’s kind of a go-to “save” for me.

Shortcut Caldo de Res Mexican Beef Soup

Shortcut Caldo de Res

Print Recipe

Caldo de Res, a shortcut version of the Mexican Beef Soup, brimming with cabbage, corn and full of beef flavor.

• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 5 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/4 small cabbage, chopped 1/2 inch dice
• 2 large red potatoes or 3 medium, chopped 1/2 inch dice
• 1 15 ounce can tomatoes with juice, crushed
• 4 to 5 cups beef broth or leftover juices and/or broth from any of the Mexican beef dishes mentioned, combined to make the 4 to 5 cup measurement.
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded beef
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste (use a good amount)
• garnishes: parsley or cilantro, lime, hot sauce, tortillas of choice

Instructions

Heat oil in stock pot, add onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring now and then until onion is translucent, four to five minutes.

Add the cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and broth (use more or less depending on your taste and how brothy or chunky you prefer) to the pot. Bring to a boil, then partially cover with a lid, reduce to a simmer and simmer about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Add in the corn and heat through, then the beef and heat through, stirring gently so as not to break up the beef.

Taste and add salt and a good amount of pepper. The soup should have a little pepper flavor.

Serve soup garnished with cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, and tortillas. Pass the hot sauce.

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I’ll be bringing my Shortcut Caldo de Reys to Fiesta Friday #220, hosted this week by Jhuls, the NotsoCreativeCook (don’t believe that for a minute, you’ll love her blog) and moi! Yes, I’ll be visiting each post by every blogger on Fiesta Friday. Please stop by and take a peek, and if you’re a blogger, join in. We’d love to have you!

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