Spicy Smoky Caldo De Queso (Sonoran Chile, Potato & Cheese Soup)

Whatever name you know this soup by–Caldo De Papa, Caldo De Queso Y Papa, Caldo De Papas Y Queso, or Caldo De Queso Estilo Sonora–Caldo De Queso is a much loved, homespun Mexican soup that originated in northwestern Sonora.  

Fire roasted green chile, toothsome new potato, vibrant sweet tomato. Together. With a boost from a few cloves of garlic, hint of oregano, and subtle infusion of fresh cilantro. What’s not to like?

Notice I didn’t mention fresh cheese (The Queso in Caldo De Queso). It’s a flavor boasting (salty) and traditional addition, but if you don’t have it, make the soup anyway. And go wild with a drizzle of Umami Potion #9 or Cilantro Lime Pesto (from our sister blog The LunaCafe) over the top of each serving. No one will miss the cheese.  

This slightly smokey, mildly spicy, sprightly soup is on regular rotation in the Otherworldly Kitchen. It’s the kind of soup Gramma Mary would have hopped on board for–it she had grown up in northwestern Mexico (instead of the Mennonite colonies in the American Dakotas). Her kind of perfect. Unpretentious. Direct. Nourishing. Addictive. Flavor Bomb. I imagine this is the kind of soup still made weekly by Mexican Grammas.  

NOTE   Most traditional recipes I encountered in my research for this soup added milk at the final step. Try it if you like, but to my eyes and palate, milk takes away from the vibrant color and zippy flavor of the soup, while not adding an appreciably creamy quality.

What Chiles Should You Use? 

The traditional recipe for this Mexican potato chile soup calls for Anaheim chile pepper, a mildly spicy (500-2,500 Scoville Heat Units), slender, 6-10-inch long, typically green chile.

My heart however leans toward the poblano chile pepper, that large, long, somewhat plump, dark green chile pepper. I love the earthy flavor. And the heat level is usually low (Scoville Heat Units: 1,000 – 2,000). Taste before using however, as occasionally you’ll run into an inordinately HOT batch.

Roasting Fresh Chiles

For the full chile roasting scoop, hop on over to our sister blog, The LunaCafe: Roasting Peppers Step-By-Step.

Roasting Peppers: Broiler Method

This method works well for large batches of fresh chiles or bell peppers. When roasting bell peppers, you may need to cut the peppers lengthwise in quarters or sixths, rather than halves. The point is to expose as much of the surface of the peppers to the broiling element as possible.

1. Cut fresh chiles in half lengthwise through the core.
2. Cut around the stem on each half.
3. Remove the stem, along with all seeds and fleshy ribs.
4. Spray a roasting pan with slotted insert or wire rack placed on a baking sheet with vegetable spray.
5. Place chile halves, skin-side-up, on the rack.
6. Broil, as close to the heating element as possible, for about 12-15 minutes, until the pepper skins are uniformly blackened.
7. Remove baking sheet from the oven and, using tongs, place chile halves into a large paper bag. Seal the bag and leave chiles to steam for 15 minutes.
8. Remove chile halves from the bag. Hold each under cool running water and gently peel away the charred, papery skin.
9. Pat dry with paper towels and cut chiles according to recipe directions.

Roasting Peppers: Direct Flame Method

This method is sometimes preferred when only 1 or 2 roasted chiles are needed. It requires an open flame, as with a gas stovetop.

1. Hold a whole fresh chile with flame-proof, long handled metal tongs and place the chile directly into the open flame of a gas burner. As the surface of the chile blackens, rotate the chile. Continue until the entire chile surface is blackened.
2. Place blackened chiles into a paper bag and seal. Leave chiles to steam for 15 minutes.
3. When chiles are cool enough to handle, with your fingertips or a small sharp knife, separate the stem from each one. Open the chiles out flat and remove the seeds, fleshy ribs, and blackened skin with your hands. Rinse under cool running water.

What Cheese Should You Use?

This may be blasphemous (and certainly not traditional) but in this zippy soup my preference is for Cotija cheese, which is an aged rather than fresh cheese. But the choice is yours and the soup is delicious with either Cotija or Queso Fresca (or similar fresh cheeses such as Paneer or Farmer Cheese).

Cotija, named after the Mexican town, is a cow’s milk cheese. Aged 3 to 12 months, it’s creamy white, moist, salty, and crumbly. Considerably bolder in flavor than Queso Fresco, it should be used sparingly.

Queso Fresco is also a cow’s milk cheese and is the traditional choice for this soup. It’s a delicious fresh (unaged) cheese, mild in flavor and saltiness.  

Regardless of degree of flavor intensity and saltiness of the cheese however, the one necessary quality it must have for this soup is “unmelting.” Which describes most fresh cheeses. The cheese should hold its shape, whether crumbled or cubed. It should NOT melt into the soup.

ADD PHOTO OF CRUMBLED CHEESE

Traditionally, Queso Fresca is cut into ¾-inch cubes and dropped into the soup just before serving. It puffs up a bit but holds its shape in the hot broth. Some writers describe the effect as “dumpling-like.”

Does Stock Matter?

Yes. It matters. The better the stock, the better the soup. In the OtherWorldly Kitchen we have dedicated Stock Days. We make gallons at a time. Then cool, strain, skim, portion, and freeze.

There’s almost always homemade stock in the freezer. (We splurged long ago and purchased a 16-quart commercial grade stock pot with strainer insert to make the whole process a little easier.)

NOTE: The link above jumps to our Brown Poultry Stock recipe, but to make a standard poultry stock, begin at Step 4 with unroasted chicken bones and scraps.

But! Don’t hesitate to make this or any other soup if all you have is canned stock. Unless it’s a soup that depends entirely on the stock, you’re still going to get a delicious result.

Copyright 2022 Susan S. Bradley