Soups

Soups (sopas in Spanish) come in a wide variety of styles and tastes. In Mexico a big bowl of soup and a stack of warm tortillas often comprises the entire mid-day meal or even breakfast.

Caldos are a broth based soup with large pieces of meat or chicken and vegetables.  A typical caldo may include a small beef steak or a chicken breast (or leg and thigh) and equally large vegies. Normally a whole or half ear of corn, carrots cut in half or quarters, onions, squash, and others are included.  This is a whole meal in a bowl.

Sopas Seca or dry soups are what more of the rest of the world call pastas.  Any of a wide variety of pastas are cooked and combined with a sauce often tomato based. Include some chopped vegetables, chilies, and spices and you have a nice lunch or side dish.

Gazpacho is a nice summer time treat more common in Spain than Mexico. This is a vegetable soup usually tomato based but sometimes avocado based.  After preparation it is chilled and served cold. Try this, it is delicious.

Various Sopa de Mariscos (seafood soup) and Sopa de Pescado (fish soup) are served throughout Mexico. These may be clear or cream based.  Other non-seafood soups, but in this same category, may include Cream Corn Soup (crema de elote), Flor de Calavasa (squash blooms), Tortilla Soup,  and others.

Maybe the most famous of all, Menudo, is a thick, spicy soup made primarily of beef tripe and chickpeas. This is generally eaten for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings for its' reputed powers of relief for the dreaded cruda (hangover).

Birria is a heavy tomato based soup filled with shredded beef and often very spicy much like a chili soup.  This may often be the specialty of small restaurants.