Caldo Gallego is a hearty Cuban-style white bean soup made with smoked ham, beef, Spanish chorizo, vegetables, and tender white beans simmered in a rich, flavorful broth. It's a comforting one-pot meal that's perfect for feeding a crowd or enjoying as leftovers.
Caldo Gallego originated in Spain but has long been a favorite in Cuban cuisine. Like many traditional recipes, there are countless variations. Some versions include unto (salt-cured pork fat), but it's difficult to find in many areas. This version uses easy-to-find ingredients while still delivering the rich, hearty flavor that makes this soup a classic.
Ingredients
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- White beans - Cannellini and navy beans both work well. Soak the beans before cooking. We used cannellini beans for this recipe.
- Olive oil - Used to sauté the vegetables and build the flavorful base of the soup.
- Vegetables - Onion, carrot, garlic, potato, and Swiss chard add flavor, texture, and color.
- Top sirloin - Simmers until tender and adds another layer of rich beef flavor.
- Spanish chorizo - Use cured Spanish chorizo, not Mexican chorizo. It adds a smoky, savory flavor to the broth.
- Smoked ham shanks or ham hocks - Flavor the broth while providing tender pieces of smoked ham.
- Chicken broth and water - Using both creates a rich broth without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Seasonings - Salt, oregano, cumin, and a bay leaf give the soup its classic flavor.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Soak the beans
Sort through the beans and discard any small stones or damaged beans. Rinse them well under cold water.
You can soak the beans overnight or use the quick-soak method.
Overnight soak: Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 3 to 4 cups of water. Let them soak overnight. Drain, rinse well with fresh cold water, and drain again before using.
Quick soak (my preferred method): Add the beans and 6 to 8 cups of water to a large pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Drain, rinse well with fresh cold water, and drain again before using.
Prep work
If you're using the quick-soak method, use that time to prep the remaining ingredients.
- Dice the onion and carrot and keep them together since they'll be added to the pot at the same time.
- Mince the garlic.
- Measure the oregano and cumin.
- Rinse the smoked ham shanks or ham hocks. Smoked meats tend to be salty, so rinsing them helps remove some of the excess surface salt.
- Cut the sirloin into bite-sized cubes and season with the salt.
- Remove the casing from the Spanish chorizo and slice it into ¼-inch rounds.
- Peel and cut the potato into bite-sized pieces. Keep the potato covered with cold water until you're ready to use it to prevent browning.
- Rinse the Swiss chard thoroughly to remove any grit. Remove the thick stems and chop the leaves.
How to make caldo gallego
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Add the garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the beef and chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned on all sides.
Add the chicken broth, water, and bay leaf. Stir well, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the smoked ham shanks or ham hocks and the soaked white beans. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, keeping the soup at a steady simmer.
Remove the ham shanks or hocks and place them on a cutting board to cool. Continue cooking the beans, covered, while you prepare the ham.
When the ham is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin, fat, and bones. Chop the meat and add it back to the pot.
Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the beans are almost tender. Stir occasionally, and more often as the soup thickens to prevent sticking.
Add the potatoes and Swiss chard. If the potatoes were kept in water, drain them before adding them to the pot.
Continue cooking for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chard is wilted. Stir more often at this point as the soup thickens.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.
Recipe tips and notes
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer throughout the cooking time. A rapid boil can cause the liquid to reduce too quickly before the beans become tender.
Stir the soup occasionally at first, then more frequently as it thickens to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Wait until the end to adjust the salt. The smoked ham shanks or ham hocks, Spanish chorizo, and chicken broth all add salt to the soup.
Like many bean soups, caldo gallego tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to develop, making leftovers something to look forward to!
Storing and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup reaches a gentle simmer and is heated through. If the soup has thickened, stir in a splash of chicken broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave, loosely covered, stirring halfway through, until hot.
According to USDA recommendations, do not leave cooked food out for more than 2 hours, or for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and food safety, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FoodSafety.gov.
If you enjoyed this caldo gallego, be sure to try our sopa de chícharos (Cuban split pea soup), sopa de garbanzos (Cuban chickpea soup), or potaje de lentejas (Cuban lentil soup). They're all hearty, comforting soups made with simple ingredients and perfect for feeding a crowd.
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📖 Recipe
Cuban White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 14 ounce Dry White Beans rinsed and soaked
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion finely diced
- 1 large Carrot diced
- 3 - 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 pound Top Sirloin Steak cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus more if needed at the end
- 3 - 3 ½ ounces Spanish Chorizo casings removed and cut into ¼ inch rounds
- 1 - 1 ½ pound Smoked Ham Shanks or Ham Hocks rinsed
- 6 cups Chicken Broth
- 8 cups Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 large Potato peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (we used russet potato)
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard about 6 leaves thoroughly rinsed, stalks removed and leaves chopped
Instructions
Prepare the white beans
- Pick through the beans to remove any foreign objects, like small stones.
- Add the beans to a colander and rinse them well with cold water and let drain.
Soak the beans
- Overnight method: Add the white beans to a pot. Cover the beans with 3-4 cups of water. Let the beans soak overnight. Drain the water completely and rinse the beans well with fresh, cold water and drain.
- Quick soaking method: Add the beans and 6-8 cups of water to a large pot. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Boil the beans for 2 minutes, then remove them from the heat, cover and allow them to soak for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans well.
Start the White Bean Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions and carrots. Cook the vegetables for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become translucent and start to soften.
- Add the garlic, dried oregano and cumin to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle the beef with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the beef and chorizo to the pot. Cook the meat for 5 minutes or so, until the beef is brown. Stir and turn the beef pieces occasionally to brown on all sides.
- Add the chicken broth, water and the bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine the ingredients well, while gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add the ham shank/hocks and white beans to the soup. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil; it will take about 10 minutes.
- Once boiling, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 - 25 minutes. Keep the liquid boiling, but not too vigorously. Lower or raise the heat as needed.
- Set the ham on a cutting board and allow it to cool.
- Continue cooking the beans, covered and on medium heat while you chop the ham.
- When the ham is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, fat and bone. Chop the remaining meat and add it back to the soup. Discard the skin, fat and bone.
- Cover the pot and cook the soup for approximately 45 - 60 minutes, or until the beans are just about tender. Stir the soup occasionally, more often as it starts to thicken so that the ingredients don't stick and burn on the bottom.
- Add the potatoes and chard to the white bean soup. If you had the potatoes in water remember to drain them before adding them to the soup.
- Continue cooking the soup for 15-17 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chard is wilted.
- Stir the soup more often from this point forward, as it should be thickening.
- Taste the Cuban white bean soup and add salt to taste if needed. As a reference we added 1½ teaspoon to ours.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Mercy
Add the unto to the recipe and add disclaimer to make the reader aware that if not found just to leave it out.
DEBBIE
WHERE IS THE UNTO?
Elizabeth
Hi Debbie, You are correct but getting that ingredient for most is impossible and this is such a delicious soup I wanted to share it anyway.