Guatemalan Beef and Vegetable Soup

A comforting Guatemalan-style beef soup simmered low and slow with bone-in shank, chayote, corn, and root vegetables, then finished with fresh mint and cilantro. Serve with a mound of fluffy white rice, lime wedges, and toasted chile for an authentic weekend family meal.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 560 kcalCalories
• 16 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 68 gCarbs
• 6 gFiber
• 7 gSugar
• 34 gProtein
• 780 mgSodium
• 1180 mgPotassium
• 95 mgCalcium
• 4.5 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 380 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the beef broth

• 3 lb beef shank with bone, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large white onion, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro stems, plus extra leaves for garnish
• 8 cups cold water

For the vegetables

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thick rounds
• 1 small chayote (güisquil), peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut in half
• 1 small green plantain, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 8 oz calabaza or butternut squash, peeled and cubed

For the rice and serving

• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small dried guaque or cayenne chile, toasted and crumbled

Directions

1. Place beef shank, onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, mint, cilantro stems, and 8 cups cold water in a large heavy pot; bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam from the surface, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour.
2. While the broth simmers, rinse the rice until water runs clear, then combine with 3 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, and olive oil in a saucepan; bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
3. After 1 hour, skim any additional foam, then add the yuca, plantain, corn, and carrots to the pot; simmer 20 minutes until these firmer vegetables are nearly tender.
4. Add the potatoes, chayote, and calabaza; continue simmering 20 to 25 minutes more until all vegetables are fork-tender and beef shreds easily off the bone.
5. Remove the shank pieces and let them rest 5 minutes; pull the meat from the bones in bite-sized chunks and discard bones and excess fat.
6. Return the shredded beef to the pot, stir in the dried oregano and most of the chopped cilantro, and taste for salt, adjusting as needed.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork and mound a generous scoop in the base of each deep bowl; ladle the hot soup over and around the rice.
8. Top each bowl with chopped onion, sliced radishes, torn cilantro, a sprinkle of toasted crumbled chile, and serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing.

Cook’s Notes

• Use bone-in beef shank, not boneless stew meat, for a richer broth and the collagen that gives the soup its silky body.
• Mint is the signature herb in Guatemalan caldo de res; do not skip it or substitute entirely with parsley.
• Prep all vegetables before the broth finishes because once you start adding them, the final stage moves quickly.
• Soup tastes even better the next day; store broth and vegetables separately from the rice to keep textures right when reheating.
• If you cannot find güisquil (chayote), substitute with zucchini added in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

More Guatemala Recipes You’ll Love

Craving more flavors from Guatemala? Try these traditional recipes:

• Guatemalan Sesame Seed Stew with Chicken
• Spicy Mayan Turkey Soup
• Guatemalan Red Tamales

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