Sonoran caldo de queso: what it is and how to make it

What is it?

Caldo de queso is one of the most representative soups of Sonora, a northern state with a cattle and cheese-making tradition. Its base is a broth of diced potato, roasted tomato, onion, garlic and Anaheim green chilli (also called northern green chilli). The distinctive feature is the final addition of regional cheese —ranchero, asadero or cocido— cut into cubes, which partly melts on contact with the hot broth, together with whole milk or cream to give the characteristic whitish colour. It is served very hot with freshly made Sonoran flour tortillas. Although humble in ingredients, it is an identity dish of the state, part of family menus and eateries in Hermosillo, Caborca, Magdalena and Ciudad Obregón. Animal Gourmet, Los Sabores de México and El Sol de Hermosillo document it as one of the icons of Sonoran cuisine, along with carne asada, bacanora and the coyota.

Origin and history

Sonoran caldo de queso was born at the rural Sonoran table of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in an area where cattle farming brought an abundance of milk and fresh cheese, and where European potato was intensively grown in the valleys of Sonora. El Sol de Hermosillo documents that the dish became popular on the ranches of the centre and north of the state as a restorative dinner after the day's work in the fields. The combination of boiled potato, fresh cheese and green chilli reflects the binational heritage with Arizona and New Mexico, where similar dishes such as 'green chile stew' exist. However, the Sonoran version is distinguished by the use of regional cheese —ranchero or asadero— and by the Sonoran flour tortilla as an obligatory accompaniment. The recipe does not appear in colonial books or in nineteenth-century national publications: it is a rural cuisine dish codified orally that spread through Sonoran migrants, especially in Phoenix, Tucson and Los Angeles. Animal Gourmet collects testimonies from Sonoran cooks who claim that caldo de queso was a typical Lenten and vigil dish, when meat was replaced by cheese.

Characteristic ingredients

The potato used is the white or alpha potato, cut into medium cubes so that it keeps its shape. The guaje tomato is roasted until blackened on a comal or dry pan, then blended with garlic and strained. The Anaheim green chilli —long, of mild to moderate heat, bright green colour— is roasted, peeled, deseeded and cut into strips or cubes. The white onion is finely sliced and softened in oil or lard. The tomato sauce is poured over the onions, chicken broth or water is added, then the potatoes, and it is cooked until they are soft —about 20 minutes. At the end, whole milk or Mexican cream, the chilli cubes and the cubes of Sonoran ranchero, asadero or cocido cheese are added. The cheese must be added when turning off the heat so that it partly melts without disintegrating. Some versions carry chopped coriander at the end, or a touch of Sonoran oregano. The broth must not boil after adding the cheese to prevent it from curdling. It is served immediately with hot flour tortillas.

Cultural significance

Caldo de queso is one of the gastronomic symbols of Sonora, integrated into its regional identity along with carne asada, chiltepines, coyotas and the cuisine of the Yaqui and Mayo peoples. The Secretariat of Tourism of Sonora includes it in its official gastronomic catalogue and on tourist routes as 'a must when visiting the state'. It is consumed mainly with family and in local eateries as a light lunch or dinner, especially during winter when temperatures in central Sonora drop considerably. The dish is also common in Lent as a meat-free option. The 2010 UNESCO declaration of traditional Mexican cuisine focuses on Michoacán, but the northern corpus —caldo de queso, machaca, gallina pinta— is part of the regional diversity that enriches it. The Sonoran cheese industry, especially the cheese makers of Caborca, Magdalena and Ures, benefits from the continuous consumption of this dish. Chefs such as Aarón Sánchez and Pati Jinich have included versions of caldo de queso in their books and television programmes as an example of northern cuisine.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Sonoran caldo de queso and queso fundido?

Sonoran caldo de queso is a brothy soup of potato, tomato and green chilli to which cubes of cheese are added at the end. Queso fundido (or queso flameado in Tex-Mex) is a dry dish of cheese completely melted in a pan with chorizo or rajas. One is eaten with a spoon as a soup; the other is eaten with tortillas as a fondue or cheese for taco-making.

What does caldo de queso taste like?

It tastes of boiled potato with sweet roasted tomato, slightly spicy Anaheim green chilli and a creamy undertone from the cheese melted with milk or cream. The ranchero cheese provides a mild lactic acidity, the softened onion sweetness. It is a comforting soup, creamy but not heavy, with moderate heat from the chilli. The hot flour tortilla complements the northern profile.

How is caldo de queso served?

It is served very hot in a deep bowl, with the potatoes, the partly melted cheese cubes and the creamy broth. It is obligatorily accompanied by freshly made Sonoran flour tortillas to scoop up the cheese. Some diners add lime, chiltepín salsa or chopped coriander. It is a single dish or accompanied by frijoles charros for a complete Sonoran table.

Where does caldo de queso come from?

It is native to Sonora, particularly the centre and north of the state: Hermosillo, Caborca, Magdalena, Ures. It was born on the Sonoran ranches in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, making use of the abundance of regional fresh cheese and potato grown in the valleys. It is related to the green chile stews of the south-western United States, the fruit of the shared border culture.