Caldo de habas: the Lenten soup with nopales and mint

What is it?

Caldo de habas, also called sopa de habas, is a traditional vegetarian soup of central Mexico, made with dried yellow peeled broad beans that are cooked until they break down, forming a thick and comforting broth. It is seasoned with roasted tomato, garlic, onion, chile guajillo or mild pasilla, and is rounded off with nopales cut into strips, diced potatoes and, above all, plenty of fresh mint that gives it its characteristic aromatic profile. It is the classic dish of Lent and vigil in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico and Puebla, where it replaces meat soups during the 40 days before Holy Week. Larousse Cocina and El Universal record it as one of the most deeply rooted Lenten broths of central Mexico. Dona Angela on her channel De Mi Rancho a Tu Cocina cooks it as part of the rural repertoire of the Bajio. Its earthy legume flavour and freshness of mint make it unique among Mexican soups.

Origin and history

Caldo de habas has a mestizo colonial origin. Broad beans (Vicia faba) are legumes native to the Mediterranean, brought by the Spaniards in the 16th century and rapidly adopted by indigenous agriculture in the valleys of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo, where the cold climate favours them. Larousse Cocina documents that by the 18th century broad beans were already part of the New Spanish repertoire, especially as soups and purees. The combination with nopales, a pre-Hispanic cactus, and mint, a Spanish herb, perfectly reflects the culinary mestizaje of the highlands. Sopa de habas is traditionally associated with Catholic Lent: during the 40 days before Easter, meat consumption is restricted and soups of legumes such as broad beans, chickpeas and lentils become the main dish. El Universal includes Dona Angela's recipe as representative of the traditional Hidalgo version. The industry of peeled and split broad beans, with brands such as La Sierra and Verde Valle, keeps the ingredient accessible in supermarkets across the country.

Characteristic ingredients

The dried broad bean used is the yellow peeled broad bean (without skin), which is cooked without prior soaking for 30 to 40 minutes until it partly breaks down forming a creamy broth. Some cooks leave some whole broad beans as bites. The base broth is made with roasted guaje tomato, garlic and onion, blended and strained. Chile guajillo or pasilla contributes colour and mild heat. The nopales, Opuntia cactus, are cut into thin strips (1 cm wide julienne), boiled separately with a little bicarbonate and rinsed to remove the slime, then added to the broth. Small diced potatoes add body. Fresh mint, the identity ingredient, is added at the end chopped or in sprigs so it perfumes without losing its freshness. Some regional variants include pulque (in Hidalgo), epazote (in Mexico City), or replace the mint with coriander. The broth is served with lime, chile piquin to taste and hot tortillas. In strict Lent it is prepared with only water; at other times of year chicken stock can be used.

Cultural significance

Caldo de habas is one of the emblematic Lenten broths of central Mexico alongside lentil soup, romeritos and cheese-stuffed chillies. The Catholic tradition of avoiding meat during Lent remains strong in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and parts of the State of Mexico, where caldo de habas appears as the main dish at family tables on Lenten Fridays. The 2010 UNESCO inscription of traditional Mexican cuisine includes the corpus of Lenten cooking as part of the national gastronomic system. The broad bean itself has a strong agricultural presence: INEGI reports significant cultivation in Puebla, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico, where it forms part of milpas associated with maize and beans. In popular culture, broad-bean soup appears in family recipe books inherited orally and in programmes such as De Mi Rancho a Tu Cocina, which made it viral among new generations. It also appears on the Lenten menus of restaurants such as Cafe Tacuba, El Cardenal and Azul Historico in Mexico City. It is an example of traditional Mexican vegetarian cuisine long before modern plant-based trends.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between caldo de habas and sopa de habas?

They are basically the same dish. 'Caldo de habas' emphasises the brothy consistency with partly broken-down broad beans and vegetables; 'sopa de habas' is used to describe a thicker, almost puree version where the broad beans break down completely. The presence of nopales and mint is characteristic of caldo de habas from Hidalgo, while the thick version without vegetables is more typical of Puebla or Tlaxcala.

What does caldo de habas taste like?

It tastes of creamy legume with earthy notes, sweetness from the roasted tomato and a very aromatic and refreshing fresh-mint background. The nopales contribute vegetal acidity and a slightly mucilaginous texture, the potatoes neutralise the flavour, and the chile guajillo adds colour and mild heat. It is a rustic but complex soup, vegetarian without feeling incomplete. Mint is the signature of the dish.

How is caldo de habas served?

It is served very hot in a deep bowl, with the broken-down broad beans forming the creamy broth, the nopales and potatoes as morsels and the mint at the end. It is accompanied with lime, ground chile piquin, hot salsa to taste and hot maize tortillas. During Lent it is served as a main course; the rest of the year as a starter. Some people accompany it with crumbled fresh cheese.

Where is caldo de habas originally from?

It is native to central Mexico, with strong centres in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and the State of Mexico. It is a colonial mestizo dish: broad beans come from the Mediterranean (16th century), nopales are pre-Hispanic cacti and mint is a European herb. The combination became established in the 18th century as a Lenten soup and remains alive in the rural repertoire of the Mexican highlands.