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Caldo de queso sonorense (Sonoran cheese soup)
Caldo de queso: Sonora's potato, tomato and green chile broth with soft melting cheese
In Hermosillo and across Sonora, caldo de queso is the soup cooked on cool desert evenings: a light tomato broth with potato and strips of roasted green Anaheim chile, poured over cubes of fresh cheese that soften into chewy, milky pieces in the bowl. It is eaten with flour tortillas, Sonora's own, and a squeeze of lime. The common mistake is boiling the cheese in the pot, where it melts into strings and sticks to the bottom; add it at the end, off the boil. Queso fresco and Oaxaca cheese are often made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian queso fresco, or use paneer, which keeps its shape the same way. Chef's tip: blister the chiles in a dry pan until black, then sweat them in a bowl under a plate for 5 minutes and the skins slip off.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 Anaheim chilesor other mild long green chiles
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 14 oz potatoespeeled, 2 cm cubes
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- 9 oz queso frescovegetarian (no animal rennet) or paneer, 2 cm cubes
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Char 3 Anaheim chiles in a dry frying pan over a high heat, turning, until blistered and blackened all over, 5–6 minutes. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes, then peel, seed and cut into strips.
6 minStep 2: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion for 4 minutes until translucent. Add 2 cloves garlic and 2 tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes collapse, about 3 minutes.
7 minStep 3: Add 14 oz potatoes, 5 cups vegetable stock, ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano and the chile strips. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Season with ½ tsp salt.
12 minStep 4: Divide 9 oz queso fresco between warm bowls and ladle the hot soup over; the cheese softens without melting away. Serve with 1 lime and 2 tbsp coriander.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldo de queso sonorense (Sonoran cheese soup) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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