Description
Spicy Mexican beef soup brings robust flavors from traditional family kitchens in Mexico. Tender beef, rich broth, and aromatic spices blend seamlessly to create a soul-warming meal you’ll crave on cool evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 pounds beef shank (or short rib/beef chuck)
- 8–10 cups water
- 3 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 ears corn, quartered
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 5 chile de arbol peppers (optional)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)
Garnishes and Finishing:
- 1 lime, juiced
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Hot sauce to serve
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine beef, water, onion, celery, and garlic with selected spices. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 hours until meat becomes fork-tender.
- Remove beef from stock, shred into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Carefully strain the liquid, discarding used vegetables and spice remnants.
- Return strained stock to medium heat, adding potatoes and carrots. Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Introduce zucchini, jalapeños, corn kernels, diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and tomato sauce into the simmering liquid. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Reintegrate shredded beef into the soup, squeeze fresh lime juice, and season to taste with additional spices for depth and balance.
- Ladle steaming soup into serving bowls, offering garnishes like red pepper flakes, chopped cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges for individual customization.
Notes
- Enhance Meat Tenderness Slow-cooking allows beef to break down completely, creating melt-in-your-mouth texture and deeper flavor development.
- Stock Optimization Save vegetable scraps and bones to create a richer, more complex base that elevates the soup’s overall taste profile.
- Spice Flexibility Customize heat levels by adjusting jalapeno quantities or using milder chile varieties for sensitive palates.
- Low-Carb Adaptation Replace potatoes with cauliflower or turnips to reduce carbohydrate content while maintaining the soup’s hearty consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg