Sopa de res, Sopa de hueso, Sopa de pecho, or Caldo de res are all names for the hearty, flavorful, filling, easy, nutritious, and comforting Dominican beef soup. This is one of our favorite traditional soup recipes, and it can be served for lunch, dinner, and even breakfast!
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 21, 2002
Why we ❤️ it
I owe in part my love for Sopa de res to Doña Juanita, the owner and cook of the fonda in front of my aunt's house, and who started the day offering this delicious soup for breakfast.
Breakfast soup? Well, yes. For some reason, this was the most popular dish that Doña Juanita served. The fonda was close to the municipal hospital, so the hospital night staff gathered there after the graveyard shift, and the local party-goers finished there their all-night drinking with some large bowls of Sopa de res. Such was the reputation of the restorative powers of Doña Juanita's famous Sopa de hueso.
Thanks to Doña Juanita for teaching me to love Dominican Sopa de hueso, and for showing me that you can eat whatever you want for breakfast, even soup.
What is caldo de res?
Caldo de res is a beef soup typically made from inexpensive beef bone, like bone-in beef chuck or any bone-in beef stew meat. The meat chunks are seasoned and browned, then simmered for a long time to extract all the flavor and nutrients from the beef bones marrow.
Caldo de res is also called Sopa de hueso, Sopa de pecho, o Sopa de res. Like our Hen or chicken soup, it's also served for its nutritional properties.
Auyama and beef bone soup.
Serving suggestion
Unlike many of our traditional cocidos and stews, this is not served with Arroz blanco (white rice). You can serve it alongside some avocado wedges and Agrio de naranja (or store-bought hot sauce).
You can optionally offer some lime wedges for guests to drizzle with a bit of lime juice.
Top tips
- Keto version: If you want to make a Keto or low-carb sopa de hueso version of this dish, tayota (chayote) is a great substitute for potatoes.
- Storing leftovers: You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to two days or freeze it in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Onions: I do not like the consistency and texture of onions in this soup, though many people do add onions. If you want, you can add some onion powder when seasoning the meat, or add an onion cut in halves and remove before serving.
About our recipe
With this Caldo de res recipe, I have tried to recreate that soup of my childhood that I loved so much. No beef bone soup that I tasted after was as good. I think I got quite close to that flavor that I loved.
The (not so) secret ingredient in this soup is malagueta (allspice berries), which gives it a very distinct flavor. If you have any secret ingredients in your Caldo de hueso, I'd love to hear them.
Recipe
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Caldo de Res o Sopa de Hueso (Beef Bone Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 pound bone-in beef shank, [0.9 kg] (or any inexpensive cut with bones)
- 1¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 6 allspice berries (malagüeta)
- ½ teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), or to taste
- 1 pound waxy potatoes, [0.45 kg], diced
- 1 cup celery stalk, chopped
- 1 pound auyama (kabocha squash), [0.45 kg] (West Indian pumpkin or Kabocha squash), diced
- 3 sprigs cilantro, , chopped
Instructions
1. Browning meat
In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown. Pour in 2 qt [2 lt] of water. Add a teaspoon of salt, allspice, oregano, garlic, and a pinch of pepper.
2. Simmering
Boil covered over low heat until the meat is very tender and falling off the bones (60-90 minutes). Add water as it becomes necessary to keep the same volume of broth.If you use a pressure cooker you can shorten the preparation to 30-40 minutes, but I do prefer a normal pot slow cooking method.
3. Adding vegetables
- Add the potato, celery, and auyama. Simmer covered until everything is cooked through.Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the clean bones from the soup.
4. Serving
Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More beef recipes
Aside from amazing Dominican soups, we have many Dominican beef recipes on our blog. You can enjoy a flavorful plate of Res guisada, part of our Bandera Dominicana lunch meal.
You'll love it in Bistec encebollado onion steak, Dominican albóndigas (meatballs), Carne mechada beef rolls, Lengua guisada beef tongue, Carne molida ground beef with vegetables, Hígado encebollado liver, and many more.
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