Have you ever wondered what else lies hidden in the world of Mexican cuisine? There are a whole bunch of great recipes for Mexican soups you need to try.
While some Mexican soups take a spin on a taco we all know and love, others are completely different from what you might have experienced Mexican cuisine to be. These recipes are hearty, warm, and packed with flavor, just like any other Mexican dish out there.
Common Ingredients in Mexican Soups
Mexican soups are known to be packed with flavor, originating from spices, herbs, and veggies. The most common ingredients in Mexican soups are usually
- Beef or Chicken is usually the main protein source
- Garlic and Onion as aromatics without spiciness
- Hot peppers for aromatic spices
- Cilantro and lime as a tangy citrus flavor, usually complementing the spicy peppers.
How to Make Authentic Mexican Pozole Soup
To make pozole, the national soup of Mexico, you shouldn’t let the prep or cook time scare you. It is well worth the effort and you won’t be able to settle for anything less again.
Ingredients
- 3 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground cumin works too)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 dried ancho chiles, remove all stems and seeds
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, remove all stems and seeds
- 2 dried chiles de Arbol, remove all stems and seeds
- 3 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained and rinsed
- For serving (optional, but recommended)
- Thinly sliced radishes, for serving
- Thinly sliced green cabbage, for serving
- Freshly chopped cilantro, for serving
Step 1
Season pork with salt and pepper. In a large pot, add pork, bay leaf, cumin, garlic, onions, clove, and broth. Add enough water so the pork is submerged 2 inches under the liquid. Turn heat up to medium, to bring the mixture to a boil, and immediately turn it down to a simmer. Simmer for 1 ½ hour.
Step 2
While your pork mixture is simmering, prep your chiles. Place chiles and 2 cups of hot water in a bowl big enough to ensure all the chiles are covered in water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Place chiles and ½ cup of their soaking liquid into a blender, blending until a smooth consistency, adding more soaking liquid as needed.
Step 4
Add chile puree and hominy to the pork mixture, simmering until the pork is very tender. This should take about another 1 ½ hours or so.
Step 5
Serve with garnishes and enjoy.
This recipe is so delicious, there won’t be leftovers, but if you do have some freeze for up to 3 months in the freezer without garnishes.
Tips to Making Mexican Soups Better
Much like with any soups, there are a few tricks to get the optimal flavor out of your Mexican soups.
- Sear your meats. The sugars will caramelize in the meat making it more flavourful.
- Roast your veggies. Similar to meat being seared, this will enhance the flavors in your veggies. It will also add a smoky element to the dish.
- Use fresh ingredients as far as possible. Fresh herbs and veggies are the best when making soup – except tinned tomatoes.
- Use tinned tomatoes. Tinned tomatoes are usually way more concentrated in flavor since they are already somewhat cooked and won’t water down the flavor in the soup.
- Always use fresh cracked black pepper when the recipe calls for it. Pre-ground pepper just won’t have the same punch to it.
- Don’t be afraid of salt and lemon juice. Citrus juice or vinegar adds brightness to a soup, and salt takes a flat soup to a full-flavored soup.
20 Delicious Recipes for Mexican Soups
Most Mexican soup recipes found online are for Pozole, Menudo, or a Mexican-inspired soup simply called “Mexican soup”. There are some traditional favorites lined up in this list, as well as some innovative soups if you want to try someone’s experiment that has gone oh so well.
1. Allergen Friendly Tortilla Soup
Nutrition in The Kitch shows you how to make a very healthy and allergen-friendly soup. It is one of those warm and filling Mexican soups.
But don’t worry if you’re not a fan of tortillas in soup, the tortilla is for dipping, not blended into the soup.
2. Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken tortilla soup is simply amazing, and one of those dishes to cure any illness, much like chicken noodle soup. Lemons for Lulu shows you how to make this dish easily and adds some tortillas in the soup at the end.
That way, you can enjoy the taste of pieces of tortilla while having this hearty dish.
3. Menudo Soup
Menudo is one of Mexico’s most eaten soups, and for good reason. The soup is claimed to cure any ailment including hangovers.
Mexico in My Kitchen has a great recipe for Menudo that is authentic and not too difficult to recreate.
4. Mexican Bean Soup With Guacamole
BBC Good Food takes a bunch of Mexican flavors and ingredients and transforms them into a delicious warm soup for you to enjoy. You can make this soup in under 30 minutes and it is vegetarian friendly.
5. Mexican Vegetable Soup
If you’re feeling like a low-calorie vegetable soup, but with a Mexican twist, this recipe by Cooking Classy is for you. Not only is this recipe one of those low-calorie Mexican soups, but it is also packed with nutrients.
So it is perfect for getting your immune system strong for winter.
6. Mexican Sweet Corn Soup
Vegans and meat lovers alike will love this soup – there are no animal products in this recipe by Healthy Fitness Meals, but that will not stop any meat lover from also loving this soup. It is packed with flavor and heartiness.
7. Enchilada Soup
Jo Cooks makes a flavorful and satisfying bowl of soup using inspiration from another Mexican dish, Enchiladas. You can make it quite quick like the author does, or if you want, try making it in a slow cooker.
8. Mexican Lentil Soup
Try out this high fiber soup next time you need a fiber boost, or just feel like some really tasty Mexican soup, this recipe by Cooking Classy won’t disappoint
9. Mexican Chicken Soup
While there are many chicken soup recipes, Lemons for Lulu shows you how to add a Mexican twist to this delicious warm meal. It is tomato-based, so you can have more than one bowl.
They also utilize pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Did someone say easy weekday meal?
10. Albondigas Soup
Albondigas means meatballs and is a classic soup in Mexico. Recipe Runner shows you how to make this recipe. It takes a while to make all the components in this soup, but it is very much worth the time you’ve put into it.
11. Elote Soup
The author over at Striped Spatula created this recipe based on some flavors inspired by Elote, a Mexican street corn dish. Although it is not an authentic recipe, it captures the flavors of Elote very well and as a bonus, is vegetarian.
12. Sweet Potato Chocolate Mole Soup
Those a bit more daring should try this soup, and to those who are freaked out by this recipe, you should try it too. Taste Of Home gives you a reason to open a bar of chocolate with this recipe.
13. Sopa de Fideo
Sopa de Fideo translates to noodle soup – who doesn’t love noodle soup? A popular recipe by Dora’s Table to most moms, since it is easy to make, delicious, and satisfies any noodle-loving kid.
14. Mexican Tomato Soup
If you’re looking to spice up the classic tomato soup and cheese sandwich meal, then this recipe by My Recipes will do just the trick. The roasted tomatoes will add a delightful smokiness to the dish, so don’t skip that step.
15. Carne Picada Con Arroz Soup
It means minced meat and rice – which is what this recipe by Mexico in My Kitchen has in it. It also contains some hearty veggies and is packed with flavor. This is sure to be a tummy filler.
16. Burrito Bowl Soup
Another recipe inspired by classic Mexican food, Burritos. This is not the dish for you if you decide to be healthy.
To clarify, this recipe from Delish contains a lot of cheese. Not only is this Mexican soup delicious, but it is also made in only 35 minutes.
17. Mexican Potato Soup
Mexican in My Kitchen has a great recipe for this classic Mexican dish. It only needs a few ingredients and can be served as a light dinner or with some side dishes as a main meal.
18. Avocado Soup
The author at Mexican Please shows you how to make this delicious green soup, but also a great quick version of vegetable broth since they insist you use it for this soup recipe. It can be served lukewarm or chilled, but whatever you prefer, at least try this recipe once.
19. Sopa de Lima
Spanish for lime soup, sopa de lima is a treat from Yucatan, a region in Mexico. Serious Eats truly captures the authentic taste in this recipe, and what makes it special is actually the Yucatan limes from the Yucatan region, but you can of course make it with regular limes.
20. Caldo de Queso
A traditional dish from the northern states of Mexico, this hearty soup is nothing shy of wonderful. It is the perfect blend of queso, cheese, and potatoes. If you are craving cheese and potatoes, try this recipe by Muy Delish.
Mexican Soups FAQs
What Is the National Soup of Mexico?
The national soup of Mexico is called Pozole. A pork and corn soup loved and celebrated year-round in Mexico. The corn in this soup is actually called hominy. Hominy is a variant of corn that is treated with an alkali to puff it up to about twice its size.
What Are Mexican Soups Called?
The traditional and most well-known Mexican soup is called Pozole, after which Menudo follows on its heels.
Most Mexican soups also contain the word “Caldo” which translates to the broth. Sopa is the Spanish word for “soup”
Are Mexican Soups Healthy?
Most Mexican soups are packed with veggies and protein from the meat, it rarely adds extra butter or cream, so they’re actually quite healthy. If you’re enjoying a dairy-free soup, don’t be afraid to go for seconds, the soup will be good for your body.
What’s the Difference Between Menudo and Pozole Mexican Soups?
Menudo and Pozole are both traditional Mexican soups. Pozole is the national soup of Mexico which is made from mainly pork and corn. Menudo is a hearty soup made with offal as the star of the show.
Mexican Soups Conclusion
As you can see, Mexican cuisine stretches far wider than queso, tacos, and burritos. Mexico has a variety of delicious soups that you need to try when the weather becomes a bit colder. Without a doubt, these hearty and mostly healthy Mexican soups will warm up your body and help feed it valuable nutrients as well.
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