Cuban-style beef soup or Sopa de Res in Spanish, is a really easy and affordable way to get a home-cooked, nutritious and delicious meal. For this soup, an inexpensive cut of beef is cut into small chunks.
The beef is cooked in a rich and flavorful broth that’s flavored with onions, garlic and a blend of spices. Then we add potatoes and carrots, and of course, like most Cuban dishes we serve it with white rice.
If you want more hearty Cuban-style soups, try this fully loaded Cuban chicken soup or this potaje de lentejas. Enjoy!
Sopa de res ingredients
- Beef – Use a beef suitable for stew, we used beef round
- Seasoning – Salt (we use kosher salt), ground cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper
- Flour – All purpose
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin, regular or light tasting work well
- Onion – Yellow or white onion
- Garlic Cloves
- White Wine – Substitute beef broth, if desired
- Canned Tomato Sauce
- Beef Broth – You can use low sodium, if desired but adjust the seasoning at the end
- Potato – Large russet potato
- Carrot – If the carrots are on the smallish side, use two instead of one
- Cooked White Rice, for serving
How to make Cuban style beef soup
Place the beef in a large zip top bag. Add the salt, cumin, oregano and pepper, massage the beef a bit to distribute the seasoning well.
Add the flour to the bag, seal tightly without removing the air. Shake the bag well to coat the beef with the flour.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the beef to the pot, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to brown a bit on all sides.
When the beef is browned, add the white wine and stir, gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the tomato sauce, beef broth and water, stir well. Raise the heat to high, when the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, raise the heat to high, when the liquid comes back to boil lower the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If desired, uncover the pot the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time to allow the soup to thicken a little bit.
While the soup cooks, make white rice
Before serving, taste the soup and add salt, only if needed.
To serve, add white rice to the bottom of a bowl, top with a generous serving of the Cuban-style beef soup. Enjoy!
Cuban-Style Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ pound Beef for Soup (beef round) cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion small diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup White Wine substitute beef broth, if desired
- 8 ounces can Tomato Sauce
- 4 cups Beef Broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 Large Potato cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 Large Carrot cut into ½ inch pieces
- Cooked White Rice for serving
Instructions
- Place the beef in a large zip top bag. Add the salt, cumin, oregano and pepper, massage the beef a bit to distribute the seasoning well. Add the flour to the bag, seal tightly without removing the air. Shake the bag well to coat the beef with the flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the beef to the pot, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to brown on all sides.
- When the beef is browned, add the white wine and stir, gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomato sauce, beef broth and water, stir well. Raise the heat to high, when the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, raise the heat to high, when the liquid comes back to boil lower the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, uncover the pot the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time to allow the soup to thicken a little bit.
- Before serving, taste the soup and add salt, only if needed.
- To serve, add white rice to the bottom of a bowl, top with a generous serving of the Cuban-style beef soup.
Maggie
Followed the recipe without exception. Will probably make again but will double the seasoning and double up on the potatoes and carrots.
Jionel
I used to go to this little spot on calle Ocho and 11ave in little Havana, FL to get the sopa but since I moved back to CT I really miss all the food Miami had to offer especially my Cuban soup after a long night of partying anyway this soup is soooooo good and on point!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe I will be making this all winter 😆
Elizabeth
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed it!
Geni
I’m trying mine in my Instant Pot today… I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
Elizabeth
Please do!
Jionel
Oh I also added yuca and corn on the cob
Carol smith
Question not a comment want to try is recipe but can it be done in the crockpot and if so any changes to anything
Elizabeth
Hi Carol,
I’ve never made it in a crockpot so no suggestions, sorry.
Placido
I’m cuban and your on point …perfectomundo, buen provecho
Elizabeth
Hi Placido, thank you!
Courtney
I am not a beef stew fan. I have never had a beef stew that I really thought was good- until I tried this recipe! I only would attempt to make beef stew because my husband likes it, and I stumbled across this Pinterest page with a ton of Cuban recipes. Reading the ingredients in some of these recipes I couldn’t help but think they had to have a ton of flavor! This not only was the best beef stew I’ve ever had, but probably one of the best dishes I’ve ever had ! So easy to follow the recipe, too! I have made three dishes from this page and every one has been PHENOMENAL! I want to make every single one!
Elizabeth
Hi Courtney, thank you so much for your kind words. I am really glad you enjoyed it and that you stopped by!
Wallycool1
This was Great. Made as written. Thank you.
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!