Well, it’s still barely winter here in Texas. Though it is about as winter as it’s likely to get here outside of a couple more cold fronts and a freeze or two. Even so! We’re in the throes of soup season and I wanted to make some more soup, DANG IT.

Caldo is one of the most simple soups out there. It’s a Mexican style soup that’s very brothy and full of several different kinds of vegetables. You will probably find it on any good Mexican restaurant’s menu, whether it’s beef or chicken. The way that I know that? My little brother used to order it all the time when we were younger. It was always one of his MOST favorite things.

Traditionally, caldo is a rather chunky soup. Usually the vegetables are cut pretty large. The soup is often served with tortillas or rice to make for a complete meal, but honestly… I was good with it just the way it was!

The other additional optional toppings are there just for fun. They really don’t add a whole lot to the soup, they’re more of a finishing garnish, so feel free to leave them out. Everything else though, is a must.

The biggest decision that you’ll have to make with making any caldo, will be if you want beef or chicken. Today I went with chicken, just because I already had some chicken on hand. Well, and because we eat as little red meat in this house as we can. Maybe once a week.

This soup comes together really quickly since we’re literally dumping almost all of the ingredients into the pot to cook. And it’s rather hands off until you add in the final ingredient. Plus, it makes a really full and large pot of soup!

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: High Fiber • Low Fat • Low Fat Abs • Dairy Free • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Milk Free •Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free •Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Kosher