Beef Soup with Guajillo Chili

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef ribs (or the cut of your choice)
• water (amount needed to cover the meat)
• 1 white onion (divided: one piece for the broth and half an onion for the sauce)
• 7 garlic (4 cloves for the broth and 3 for the sauce)
• bay leaves (leaves to taste)
• thyme (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• beef bouillon (powdered, to taste)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for sautéing)
• 1 tomato (for the sauce)
• 4 guajillo chili (also called chile guaque)
• 1 pasilla chili
• 2 cup water for blending (approximately)
• 2 corn on the cob (cut into pieces)
• 1 zucchini (chopped)
• 0.5 chayote (also known as güisquil)
• 1 cup green beans (amount to taste)
• 1 carrot (chopped)
• 2 potato (chopped)
• 0.25 cabbage (cut into large pieces)
• 2 bunch cilantro (one bunch for the broth and another chopped for finishing)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the 3 lb of beef ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover them.

2. 2

   Add a piece of onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and thyme to the pot.

3. 3

   Season with salt, pepper, and beef bouillon. Cover the pot and cook until the meat begins to soften (you can also use a pressure cooker to speed up the process).

4. 4

   While the meat is cooking, prepare the sauce: in a skillet with a splash of oil, sauté half an onion and 3 garlic cloves.

5. 5

   Once the onion and garlic are sautéed, add the chopped tomato, 4 guajillo chilies, and the pasilla chili. Cook for 3 minutes.

6. 6

   Add approximately 2 cups of water to the skillet with the chilies and let cool for a moment.

7. 7

   Transfer the chili, onion, garlic, and tomato mixture to a blender and process until a smooth sauce is obtained.

8. 8

   When the meat is already somewhat tender, stir the chopped corn and the previously blended sauce into the pot.

9. 9

   Add a generous bunch of cilantro, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

10. 10

    After that time, add the cabbage, green beans, chayote, and carrot to the pot. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

11. 11

    Finally, add the potato and zucchini, as these require less cooking time. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

12. 12

    Turn off the heat and finish the dish by adding fresh chopped cilantro on top.

13. 13

    Serve hot accompanied by handmade tortillas.

Notes

This is a non-traditional version that uses a blended chili base to give more color and flavor to the broth. The vegetable quantities are suggested and can be adjusted to personal taste.

Nutrition per serving

• main dish
• soup
• beef
• mexican food
• stew
• vegetables