Kindness of Strangers: Three Amigos Soup (Beef and Vegetable Soup)

Last week I headed up to the City to run some errands, check on my mom’s house and visit her at the assisted-living home.  We moved mom to a care facility after a couple of health emergencies and declining cognitive ability, sadly she could no longer live independently.

I arrived at her place around lunchtime and it was such a beautiful day, I decided to take her to Los Trinos, a little hole-in-the-wall down the block that serves delicious El Salvadorean food.  Using the walker to steady herself, we slowly made our way to Los Trinos.  The most difficult part of the walk is the Mission Street crossing.  She made it across like a real trooper.

A Hole in the Wall but Not in My Soul

Los Trinos, a tiny unassuming place with about 10 tables, serves the surrounding neighborhood.  It’s down-home cooking-Pupusas, Tacos, Churrasco, Sopa de Res, all made in a tiny family-run kitchen.  We settled on Carne Asada Tacos, pupusas filled with cheese and chicken, and a bowl of their Sopa de Res (beef and vegetable soup).  The soup is the epitome of comfort food, filled with carrots, chayote, zucchini, corn on the cob, and chunks of beef, it nourishes the body and the soul.  Beef shank is part of the leg, the meat is tough, sinewy, and lean (it does a lot of work after all) but with long slow cooking, morphs into tender and flavorful morsels and develops into a tasty stock.  Oxtails would be a good (but pricey) substitute for both flavor and texture.

On the way back, mom’s legs gave out and she collapsed crossing the street (Mission is a big fast street). I frantically tried to pick her up while grabbing her walker.  Immediately 3 guys came running to help us, literally carrying mom to the corner out of harm’s way. Luckily there is a bus stop there with seats. I told her I would run and grab a wheelchair.  One of the guys immediately said he would stay with her until I got back. I was so grateful to them. With all the craziness going on right now its acts of kindness and decency that restore your faith in people. They probably won’t see this but I wanted to thank the three of them who without hesitation jumped in to help us.

I got mom back and settled her in, told her she almost gave me a heart attack, she laughed.  She Was OK

In appreciation of the three guys who helped us, I have named my version of Caldo or Sopa de Res, Three Amigos Soup. It is soul food.  Comfort food made with love and made to be shared with family and friends.  My mom, notorious for not being a great cook (she left the cooking to my dad), somehow could fill a pot with water and like magic turn it into the most delicious soups.  Her beef and veggie soup, one of my favorites, starts like Three Amigos soup with beef shanks but veers Asian with the addition of ginger and shiitake mushrooms.

Inspired by the three gentlemen who helped me it felt right to make a pot of soup.  I made the soup in a pressure cooker and it takes half the amount of time.  If you have a 6-quart pressure cooker like me, half the recipe.  If you have the big Kahuna of Instant Pots, you can make the full recipe.

Confession time, I cheat by adding a heaping tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Base, totally optional.  Or start with beef broth or stock instead of water for a richer flavor.

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Three Amigos Soup (Caldo de Res)

Food for the soul, this beef and vegetable soup is nourishing, comforting, and just plain delicious. Filled with a variety of vegetables, including, carrots, potatoes, chayote and onions it makes a wonderful meal in a bowl.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Beef and Vegetable Soup, Beef shank, Caldo de Res, Carrots, chayote, comfort food, food for the soul, onions, potatoes

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Instant Pot 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

The Stock

• 10 cups water divided, for a richer stock, use beef stock instead of water or 1:1 water:stock
• 2 pounds bone-in beef shank Substitute 2-2.5 pounds of oxtails, or a mix of both, chuck roast cut into 2-3 inch chunks would also work
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1-2 Tbsp Better than Bouillon Beef Base optional, not necessary if using beef stock

The Veggies

• 1 white or yellow onion Diced
• 2 potatoes cut into eighths (Idaho, Russet or Yukon Gold)
• 2-3 medium ears of corn shucked and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 zucchini cut into thick chunks
• 4 carrots sliced into thick coins
• 1/2 head cabbage cut into eighths, leave the center stalk to keep cabbage together
• 2 fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges optional but recommended, adds sweetness

Garnishes

• 1 cup chopped cilantro for serving
• 4 limes cut into wedges for serving
• diced jalapenos, optional for serving

Mom's Beef and Vegetable soup

Omit bay leaves, chayote, lime and jalapeños

• 4-6 dried Shiitake Mushrooms, Cleaned and soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes. reserve soaking liquid to use as stock for soup
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger Smashed Or cut into slices, in place of bay leaves
• 1/4 Cup Rice wine or Shaoxing Wine Add with beef
• 1-2 Fuzzy melons or piece of winter melon (1.5 pounds) Daikon or Korean radish would also work In place of zucchini and chayote,
• 1 Tbsp Light soy sauce Just before serving, stir into soup
• 1-2 Green onions sliced, to add when serving

Instructions

• In a large dutch oven or soup pot, add 10 cups of water, beef shanks, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat Is tender.
• Skim off and discard any white or brown foam floating at the top of the pot as well as the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Transfer the cooked bone-in beef shank to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
• Add the onions, potatoes, corn, zucchini, carrots, cabbage and remaining 2 cups of water to the pot.
• Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• While the vegetables are cooking, remove the bones and any tough sinewy parts from the beef shank and discard. Cut the tender meat into small bite-sized chunks. When the vegetables are fully cooked, add the meat.
• Stir everything together and taste. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Ladle soup into large bowls, each bowl should have bit of everything. Garnish each bowl with cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice and diced jalapeño peppers or a few dashes of Tobasco hot sauce (optional).

Instant Pot Version

• Place beef, shiitake, garlic, salt and 1/2 of diced onions in pot. Fill pot to 10 cup line.
• Seal pot and set to cook at high pressure for 35-40 minutes. NPR for 10 minutes
• While soup is cooking, prep vegetables. Remove meat from stock and add vegetables to Instant Pot, you might have to leave some out, it’s a lot of veggies. Seal and set cooktime for 15 minutes.
• Quick release, season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup and goodies into large bowls. Garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve. Enjoy!