Caldo De Queso Con Papas (Cheese & Potatoes Soup) is a traditional dish from the northern states in Mexico. It’s delicious & healthy, made with diced potatoes and chunks of queso fresco.
Pure comfort food, this Sopa De Queso is kicked up a notch with roasted anaheim pepper. Simple ingredients include potatoes, queso fresco, milk, onion, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro.
This was one of my mom’s favorite caldos to make and one of my favorites too. It’s a traditional dish from the state of Sonora where I was born. However, this soup is now gaining popularity throughout Mexico and some parts of the United States.
It is truly delicious and I hope you get to make this Caldo De Queso Con Papas! Join me to see our family’s traditional recipe.
Why you’ll love it
- This recipe comes together in less than an hour and makes a great dinner. If you serve in small portions, it’s a wonderful side to a quesadilla or a small sandwich.
- Your entire family will love it!
- A few simple ingredients make a sumptuous cheese & potato soup. Be sure to use a high-quality queso fresco; it’s crucial to the dish’s flavor.
Ingredients
Here are a few notes on the ingredients used for this Caldo De Queso Con Papas:
- Queso Fresco – This cheese does not melt and should stay in chunks for the most part.
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon potatoes for this soup but you can use any potato you like.
- Roasted Anaheim peppers – Follow the link to see how I roast the chiles
- Milk – Make sure it’s warm so that it doesn’t curd when added to the hot broth. The milk is what gives that creamy consistency you see on the photos. I use 2% milk but you’re more than welcome to use your preferred milk (even almond & coconut milk will do!)
- The other ingredients are, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, chicken bullion powder (or cubed) and salt & pepper to taste.
How To Make Caldo De Queso Con Papas
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium or large pot. Add the onions and saute over medium heat about 5 minutes. After that add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Then the tomato and cook for 5 minutes or until they’re soft.
- Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and oregano. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Then the water, chicken bullion and cilantro. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the potatoes are cooked through. About 25 to 30 minutes.
- When the potatoes are cooked through, add the chile strips and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the milk (make sure it’s warm). Then the cubed cheese and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cilantro and taste for salt & pepper to see if it needs more.
When the soup is ready, it’ll be creamy but still brothy. The vegetables will be soft and the fresh cheese won’t melt so it’ll maintain the cubed form. It’s always good to taste it to see if it needs more salt and pepper. Adjust if needed. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This sopa de queso is the perfect vegetarian soup. It’s hearty and it can be served as the main meal along with some warm corn tortillas. If you want to serve something else with it I suggest Tlacoyos, Molletes, or Taquitos. It really goes with anything you want. I welcome you to explore more Mexican dishes to see what else inspires you to make.
For a drink? Serve with a tall glass of Agua De Jamaica. You’ll love this combination.
How to Store
- Fridge: Allow the caldo de queso to cool down to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Place the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Seal it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label the container with the date and contents!
Reheating
- Stovetop: Heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even reheating. Once the entire soup is heated through, it’s ready to be enjoyed.
- Microwave: If you prefer a quicker method, the microwave is a convenient option. Place the meat in a microwave-safe dish, cover it loosely to prevent splatters, and heat it in short intervals, stirring in between. About 3 minutes per bowl.
MORE delicious…
Mexican Soups To Try
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope you like this recipe! Do you have any questions I can help you with? Or if you made it, I would love it if you leave a comment or rating below.
Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Caldo De Queso Con Papas (Cheese & Potato Soup)
Ingredients
- 3 Roasted Anaheim peppers or 2 large poblano peppers if you can't find anaheim peppers
- 2 tablespoons avocado, grapeseed or canola oil
- ½ small onion Sliced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled & finely chopped
- 3 Roma tomatoes cut in small chunks
- 3 white Yukon potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt Add more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon oregano
- 6 cups water warm
- 1 teaspoon chicken bullion powder or 1 cube
- a small bunch of cilantro Tied up so that it's easy to remove later (see the notes section)
- 1 cup 2% milk warm
- 12 oz queso fresco or queso panela cut into 1 inch chunks
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium or large pot. Add the onions and saute over medium heat about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato and cook for 4 minutes or until they're soft.
- Add the potatoes and salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the water, chicken bullion and cilantro. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the potatoes are cooked through. About 25 to 30 minutes.
- When the potatoes are ready, add the chile strips and cook for 3 minutes. Add the warm milk (see the notes section #1) and the cheese.
- Cook for about 5 minutes and remove the bunch of cilantro (see the notes section #2).
- When the soup is ready, it'll be creamy but still brothy. The vegetables will be soft and the fresh cheese won't melt so it'll maintain the cubed form. It's always good to taste it to see if it needs more salt and pepper. Adjust if needed.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Muy Delish Notes:
#2 – If you want to keep the cilantro in the soup, just chop it up instead of adding it in tied in a bunch. Additional notes:
- Queso Fresco – This cheese does not melt and should stay in chunks for the most part.
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon potatoes for this soup but you can use any potato you like.
- Roasted Anaheim peppers – Follow the link to see how I roast the chiles
Add Your Own Private Notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
I love this recipe. There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of chicken soup. The queso fresco adds that special touch. A fav at home. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Rosemary!! so happy your family loved it.
Thank you, Rosemary! so happy you liked it.
This soup was so warm and cozy, just perfect for the cooler temps. I’ll make this one again, thanks!
Thank you, Kristine! glad you like it.
This is delicious! Cheese and potatoes are all I need in life 🙂
Thank you, Ashley!! yes good for cold days.
The cheese really sets this soup apart from others I’ve tried. Can’t get enough of that flavor!
This is so cozy, warming, and flavorful! Was my first time making it and it definitely wasn’t my last!
Thank you, Dana! so happy you liked it.
This is the best soup I have ever had! The queso fresco was amazing. A new constant in our kitchen.
Mi favorite!!!!
This wad so easy to make and delicious!!
This is the real deal Caldo De queso! Just like I grew up eating in in Sonora. Thanks for the recipe!
This is the best, easiest and quickest recipe for Caldo de Queso. My mother was from Hermosillo and so I grew up on this soup. It’s super authentic and muy delicious!!
I love the recipe but you don’t show how to use the substitute for Anaheim Chiles,do i roasted too? By the way I’m from Sonora too,born in Oregon ,raise in Hermosillo and live in the USA too
Thank you for all your recipes,we have to keep the better of our tradition…?
Hola Margarita!!! Que gusto verte por aquí mi querida paisana!!! Gracias por tu pregunta que tengo que rectificar en la receta!
If you can’t find anaheim you can use a poblano pepper. I also think you can find roasted green chiles in a can? That could be another substitute. If you can’t find that either, then use a green bell pepper as a last resort.
My sister now lives in Hermosillo and I agree, we have to keep our recipes alive!!! Thank you soooo much for stopping by and please let me know if you have any other questions. You’ll love this! Buen provecho!
Deliciosa esta receta de caldo de queso ?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hoy comi esta sopa!! Deliciosa!!!
Que bueno que te gusto este caldo de queso Malena! Saludos!
My coworker made this for me, its so good! Would this taste good with chicken? I want to make it for my husband but he’s very carnivorous!
Hi Leena! Wow you have such a nice coworker! I wish I had that lol! But I’m very happy to hear that you liked this Caldo De Queso. You can definitely add chicken to it! If you’re adding it already cooked (I recommend shredded rotisserie) or you can cook the chicken in water with onions, garlic, celery, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Then proceed to make this soup following the recipe. Add the shredded chicken (or chunks) at the end.
Please let me know how it turns out! I may do it next time hehe! Thanks so much for the question and stopping by. XO, Ana
This soup is exactly like the one I had at a restaurant and I couldn’t stop ordering it! I decided to figure out how to make it instead of spending $10 a bowl to quench my craving!
Superb, incredible and I am so happy I stumbled across this fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing!
So very yummy. I’ve always been a lover of Mexican dish and potato soup. Win/win
Ok I’m doing it all now! Question why do we remove the cilantro? Is it optional?
Yay!!! It’s optional but I leave it. Enjoy and buen provecho!
Okay, I updated the recipe with an extra note #2. Thanks for the question! Ana
Best soup ever!
I’m from Sonora Mexico and I fully approve this recipe. This Is a dish that’s close to my heart. This incredible soup taste like home to me. It reminds me of my culture my family and is an all-around comfort food. It’s truly an amazing recipe thank you for sharing it.
I made it and came out delicious! Great recipe! My mom used to make it like this.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but this recipe for Caldo De Queso was very good.
I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already
😉 Cheers!
Made it and it’s Absolutely Delicious. My family loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Love this soup. Once the chiles are roasted, the soup comes together pretty quickly, and it reheats nicely. It was perfect on a cold, rainy night. This soup will go into our regular rotation of wintertime recipes.
I substituted the queso fresco for pepper jack and it was TDF !
LoVe it Ana
xo
M
Thank you so much I used to try to follow a recipe on YouTube but it was in Spanish LOL loved your recipe it came out perfect
haha! That’s a perfectly way to land on this recipe! I’m so happy to you loved it Tiffany! That’s music to my ears! take care! xo, Ana
Excellent website. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks for your sweat!
My Favorite!!!
Gracias por compartir!!!
Gracias Malena! Que gusto que te guste! jeje!
Love it !!! This is delicious#!! Just made it. Thank you Ana!!