Taste the heart and soul of Mexico in each of these amazing sopas. Familiar but not often celebrated, Mexican soups comprise a vast repertoire. Here are some of our favorites. All are easy to make ahead, heat and serve. Meals in a bowl – with lots of local, seasonal vegetables, maybe even your homegrown dried chile peppers – need nothing more than a warm tortilla alongside.
Buy tortillas fresh at Hispanic groceries and some supermarkets. Or make your own — See tortilla recipes here.
Tortilla Soup
Recipe by Dotty Griffith
Chicken soup topped with fried tortilla strips is the best-known Mexican soup. This time of year use leftover turkey in the beautiful bowl of red broth. If you want a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and substitute beans for the protein.
Caldo De Res (Beef Vegetable Soup)
Recipe by Dotty Griffith
Pick the season’s best vegetables for this soup. For the cold months, we used butternut squash instead of zucchini or calabacitas. Mix and match depending on what you’ve got and what you like. Remember to use the marrow from the beef shanks in the broth. If your bowl gets one of those flavorful morsels, consider yourself lucky and savor it.
Green or Red Posole
Recipe by Dotty Griffith
Garnishes take this hearty soup to a whole new level. Dried Mexican oregano, minced onion and cilantro along with squeezes of lime juice elevate this soup from basic to sublime.
Caldo De Mariscos (Seafood Soup)
Recipe by Dotty Griffith
Cioppino and bouillabaisse lovers rejoice. This is the Mexican version of tomato seafood soup, with a pan-roasted chile base to give it a unique spice factor. To make ahead, prepare the broth and refrigerate. At mealtime, heat the broth; add shellfish and white fish just before serving. Don’t overcook.
Dotty Griffith is the author of THE TEXAS HOLIDAY COOKBOOK - Second Edition ©2013, Taylor Trade Publishing.
