Sunday, December 11, 2011

Ranch Recipe #7 Caldo

NonnieandPapaChristmas

On rare cold days in South Texas, everyone I know

looks for the best bowl of caldo (soup) they can find.

Although the ingredients for both caldo de pollo

(chicken soup)

and

caldo de res

(beef soup)

are very humble,

creating either is an art.

Trust me- I have tried and failed.


I wish I could include some sort of scratch and sniff/taste tab

here to demonstrate exactly what I mean.



There is a distinctive flavor to caldo that I imagine

is a result of the cook and years of experience.

Along the way, I have settled

on a derivation that has these important ingredients:

IMG_7553_1

If you are making caldo ,

purchase the green topped Knorr’s caldo de pollo

and the red topped caldo de tomate  bouillion.

Then you must have this.

IMG_7557_1


Note:  to really gain the flavor that peppercorn, comino, and garlic pods

have to offer, you must use a molcajete and grind the spices.

image


I haven’t done that yet, which may be the problem.


Here is the recipe for the soup I prepared today.



Laura’s Caldo

brown a package of boneless stew meat and a large chopped onion

in about 2 tablespoons of oil


sprinkle the beef with your favorite spices

(I used Nature’s Seasoning and TexJoy)

add

chopped carrots and potatoes (large chunks)

stir for a moment until the denser vegetables have cooked a bit

add a large can of whole tomatoes

and a can of diced tomatoes


add sliced Mexican squash ,

a small package of frozen corn kernels

and enough water to create soup


at this point I stirred in a heaping tablespoon (or two) of Knorr’s

caldo de tomate


I then sprinkled in ground cumin (comino) to taste


about five minutes before serving, I sprinkled in a handful of

chopped cilantro leaves


***





12 comments:

Olive said...

It sounds wonderful Laura. I am a fan of Knorr products.

Honey at 2805 said...

It sounds wonderful because I know that it is! Actually, I make almost the same thing. Is is a Texas thing? ;)

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

My town is next to a city which has a large population of many cultures. I have seen a lot of Hispanic food items at the grocery store. I will be on the look out for the Knorr's products for sure. The soup looks delicious.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I'm always learning something over here!
Brenda

Shannon@Cozy Home Scenes said...

Your soup looks warm, comforting and delicious. I am not familiar with Mexican squash. Is it similar to regular yellow squash or is it something entirely different?
I like good hearty soup on these cold days.-------- Shannon

Karen said...

Sounds really good, Laura. You had me at the sprinkling of cilantro!! Yummmm-o!!
Karen
Ladybug Creek

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Yum! Nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter's night. This looks delicious.

Deb said...

sounds really good Laura....

Theresa said...

Sounds yummy dear Laura! Looks like a wonderful meal on a cold day:) Have a blessed evening, HUGS!

June said...

I feel warmed to the bones just reading the recipe Laura!
big hugs from here...

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Gosh now I am hungry and it's too late in the night to be eating. lol
Wanted to come by and say hello and check on you.
Your soup looks delicious and I love the pieces you picked up while visiting Houston.
I am having a long overdue giveaway I hope you can come by and enter.
Love ya
Maggie

Amy said...

...for caldo de res, I notice a big difference in corn kernels vs. corn on the cob. I just use the frozen mini ones, but there is a big difference! (and I also use a little - ok, maybe more than a little - Tony Chachere's. I kinda like how it gives a little 'howdy!' at the end of each bite)..

 

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