Home-style recipes from around the world, written for real kitchens

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Caldo de costilla with bone-in beef short ribs and potatoes
Serves4
CuisineColombian
Latin America & Caribbean

Caldo de Costilla: Colombian Beef Rib and Potato Soup for Breakfast

How to make caldo de costilla, the Colombian soup of bone-in beef short ribs and potatoes, in an ordinary deep pot. Covers the blended onion, scallion and garlic base, when to add the potatoes, how to split the cilantro, fixing tough meat or broken potatoes, serving with arepa, and the dish's place at the Bogotá breakfast table.

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 5

Put the ribs, water, cumin, salt and pepper in the pot

Beef ribs, water, cumin, salt and pepper going into a pot
Raw ribs in plenty of water, with only cumin, salt and pepper for now

Place the short ribs in the deep pot and add the 15 cups of water, the ground cumin, and some salt and pepper. Choose a pot with generous room above the liquid, because the onion base and the potatoes are still to come. The ribs go in as they are, with no searing or rinsing.

STEP 22 / 5

Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 1 hour

Beef ribs simmering over low heat
A quiet simmer with small bubbles, not a rolling boil

Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Thicker ribs may need longer. Keep the heat low enough that the surface moves with small bubbles rather than a hard, rolling boil. If foam rises early on, you can skim it off. This is optional.

STEP 33 / 5

Blend the garlic, onion and scallions, add them, and simmer about 40 minutes more

Garlic, onion and scallions blended with water
Only the raw aromatics and the small measure of water go into the blender

Put the garlic, chopped onion and chopped scallions in the blender with the separate ¼ cup of water and blend for about 1 minute. The blender holds only these raw ingredients and the small measure of water. Do not put hot broth from the pot into the blender.

Pour the mixture into the pot and continue simmering for about 40 minutes. The broth will turn pale and naturally cloudy, which is how it should look.

Pouring the onion and scallion mixture into the broth
The broth starts to cloud as the onion base goes in
STEP 44 / 5

Add the potatoes and half the cilantro, then simmer until the potatoes are tender

Adding potatoes and half the cilantro
All the potatoes go in now, with only half the cilantro

First check the ribs. If a fork still meets real resistance, keep the pot simmering until the meat is tender before you add the potatoes. Potatoes added too early may fall apart while you wait for the meat.

When the meat is ready, add all of the potatoes and half of the chopped cilantro. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 25–30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. A fork should slide into the center of a piece while the piece still holds its shape.

Testing a potato's tenderness with a fork
Stop when the fork goes in easily and the potato is still whole
STEP 55 / 5

Finish with the remaining cilantro and serve hot

Sprinkling the remaining cilantro over a bowl
The second half of the cilantro goes on fresh, just before serving

Ladle the soup into bowls so that each bowl gets a piece of rib and some potatoes. Scatter the remaining cilantro over the top and serve warm, with plain arepas on the side if you like.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

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The soup

Ingredient Amount Role
Bone-in beef short ribs (costilla de res) 3 pounds The meat and the body of the broth. The weight includes the bone
Water, for the pot about 15 cups Cooking liquid for the ribs from the start
Ground cumin 1 teaspoon A warm, earthy note in the broth
Salt to taste Added at the start and adjusted with the potatoes
Pepper to taste Added at the start and adjusted with the potatoes
Garlic 5 cloves Blended into the aromatic base
Onion, chopped 1 cup Blended into the aromatic base
Scallions, chopped 6 Blended into the aromatic base
Water, for the blender ¼ cup Used only to blend the garlic, onion and scallions. This is in addition to the pot water
Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces 1 pound Starch and substance. Added only after the ribs have simmered
Fresh cilantro, chopped ½ cup, divided Half simmers with the potatoes and half finishes the bowls
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To serve

Ingredient Amount Role
Plain cooked arepas to taste An optional side, served separately. Use ready-made ones. Making arepas from scratch is not part of this recipe
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Caldo de Costilla: Tender Ribs and Whole Potatoes in a Steaming Bowl

What this pot should keep

Cook the ribs until tender before the potatoes go in, then stop when the potatoes are soft but still whole. The broth is naturally a little cloudy from the blended onion base. Clarity is not the goal here.

A deep bowl holds a bone-in piece of beef rib, chunks of peeled potato and a scattering of fresh cilantro, with steam rising off a pale, savory broth. In Colombia, caldo de costilla is a soup eaten for breakfast, and Bogotá's tourism authority has featured it alongside the city's breakfast traditions as part of its food culture.

This recipe follows Erica Dinho's version from My Colombian Recipes. The author describes herself as born and raised in Colombia. The method is simple and unhurried. Simmer short ribs with cumin, salt and pepper. Blend onion, scallions and garlic with a little water and stir the mixture into the pot. Finish with potatoes and cilantro. The only real challenge is timing, because you want the meat tender and the potatoes holding their shape at the same moment.

The name

Caldo means broth and costilla means rib, so caldo de costilla is simply "rib broth." Colombian recipes call the cut costilla de res (beef rib) and the potatoes papa. No special story behind the name has been confirmed.

A Beef-Rib Broth at the Bogotá Breakfast Table

Many versions of caldo de costilla exist across Colombian homes. The shared core is water, beef ribs and potatoes. La Nueva Bagatela, a Colombian regional food publication, ties the dish to the Cundiboyacense zone, the highland area around Bogotá. The same publication notes that the soup is widely found outside that region too. It also describes caldo de costilla being served late at night and at places where transport workers gather. This is that publication's framing. It is not settled history, and this article makes no claim about a single place of origin.

Bogotá's official recognition is clearer. The city's Instituto Distrital de Turismo held a gastronomy congress, "El Sabor de Nuestra Casa," and its cooking demonstrations included caldo de costilla next to the Bogotá breakfast. The city's announcement describes the soup as a cultural expression of Bogotá. This shows public recognition. It does not mean every Colombian eats the dish, or eats it the same way.

At home, the details shift. Some cooks add carrot, and the type of onion, the garlic, cumin, herbs and even broth powder vary from recipe to recipe. You may come across claims that the soup cures hangovers or that it arrived with foreign railway workers. Neither claim has reliable support, so this article treats the soup simply as a good, sustaining bowl.

Ingredients: Short Ribs, Potatoes and a Blended Onion Base

Beef short ribs, potatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro and seasonings
Two separate measures of water and two equal portions of cilantro, each with its own job

This recipe makes 4 servings. Notice that the recipe uses water twice. The 15 cups go into the pot at the start. The ¼ cup for the blender is extra, so do not take it out of the 15 cups.

Allergens and labels

The soup ingredients themselves are simple. Still, check the labels on the beef you buy and on any arepa product. Do not assume the meal is allergen-free without reading what is in each product.

Equipment

  • A large, deep pot with plenty of room above about 15 cups of water plus the ribs and potatoes
  • A blender
  • A knife and cutting board
  • A ladle, plus a skimmer if you want to remove foam
  • A clean fork for testing the potatoes

Measuring and Choosing: Cups, Bone-In Weight and Fresh Herbs

Converting to metric

1 cup = 240 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.

  • 3 pounds of ribs is about 1.36 kg, weighed with the bone.
  • 1 pound of potatoes is about 454 g.
  • 15 cups of water is about 3.6 L.
  • ¼ cup of blender water is 60 ml.
  • 1 cup of chopped onion is 240 ml.
  • ½ cup of chopped cilantro is 120 ml, or 60 ml for each half.

The onion and cilantro amounts are volumes, not weights.

Short ribs. The 3 pounds is the weight of bone-in ribs. Do not buy 3 pounds of boneless meat in its place, because that would be far more meat than the recipe intends. Bone-in beef shank is sometimes suggested as an alternative. It has a different balance of bone and fat, so the broth will not taste the same, and it should not be treated as an identical swap.

Scallions. Use slender green onions. Colombian recipes often call for cebolla larga, a long onion. If you can only find thick long onions or leeks, do not use six of those in place of six slender scallions. The amounts are not equivalent.

Potatoes. The recipe does not name a variety. Potatoes that hold their shape are easier to keep intact. Floury potatoes break down more readily and thicken the broth.

Cilantro. Use fresh coriander leaves. Chop the whole ½ cup at once, then divide it into two equal portions so you don't add a second full ½ cup by mistake.

What this recipe leaves out. There is no carrot, no achiote, no bouillon and no oil. You don't need to sear or rinse the ribs.

Method: Ribs First, Then the Onion Base, Then Potatoes

Let tenderness decide

The times below are guides, and they depend on how thick your ribs are. Before the potatoes go in, check the meat with a fork, not the clock.

Food safety and leftovers

This recipe does not set a storage period, and no shelf-life test has been done for this soup. For general guidance, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advises home cooks to do the following:

  • Heat food until the center reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute.
  • Keep raw meat from contaminating other foods.
  • Divide leftovers into shallow containers, cool them quickly and refrigerate them.
  • Reheat to about 75°C or above.

This is general household advice, not a guarantee for this dish.

Tough, Broken, Bland: Fixing Problems in the Pot

Problem Likely cause What to do
Ribs still tough when it's time for potatoes Thick ribs, or the simmer was too gentle to make progress Keep simmering before you add the potatoes, and check again with a fork. There is no fixed extra time, so let tenderness decide
Potatoes falling apart They went in before the meat was ready, or the pot boiled hard Add potatoes only after the meat is tender, keep a gentle simmer, and start testing them early. Floury varieties break down more easily
Broth looks greasy Fat from the ribs on the surface Spoon off some surface fat if you like. You don't need to remove all of it
Broth looks cloudy The blended onion base, which is expected Nothing needs fixing. This version is not meant to be clear. Keep a gentle simmer so it doesn't turn murky
Broth tastes flat Not enough salt for this volume of water Taste and adjust the salt and pepper when the potatoes go in, and again before serving. This recipe doesn't use bouillon
Cilantro tastes dull All of it was cooked Keep the second half for the bowls so its fresh aroma stays on top

Serving and Household Variations

A bowl of caldo de costilla with an arepa on the side
Arepa served separately, so the soup itself stays simple

The author enjoys caldo de costilla with arepa, ají, avocado and white rice. These are her serving preferences, not requirements. A plain arepa on the side is the simplest way to turn the bowl into a full breakfast.

Other home cooks change the pot in several ways:

  • Carrot. The author notes that some people add carrot. It is not part of this recipe, and no amount is given here. If you add carrot, you are cooking a variation.
  • Onion and cilantro on top. Carne y Leche Colombiana, a Colombian beef and dairy producers' site, garnishes its version with chopped onion and cilantro, instead of finishing with cilantro alone.
  • Different seasonings. Recipes differ in their onion, garlic, cumin and herbs, and some include broth powder. Each of these is a different formula, so don't mix their amounts into this one.
  • Pressure cooker. Some Colombian recipes use one, but the timing depends on the cooker and the cut. This article covers only the ordinary pot.

For more of the country's dishes, explore Colombian recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is caldo de costilla the same as sancocho?

No. Caldo de costilla is a beef-rib broth built around ribs and potatoes. Sancocho is a fuller soup with several ingredients. Chicken sancocho (sancocho de gallina), for example, is built on chicken rather than beef ribs.

Which cut of beef should I buy?

Buy bone-in beef short ribs, 3 pounds weighed with the bone. Bone-in shank is a possible alternative, but its bone and fat balance gives a different broth.

Can I make it in a pressure cooker?

This recipe is written for an ordinary deep pot. Pressure-cooker timing depends on the model and the cut, so it is not covered here.

Why isn't my broth clear?

The onion, scallion and garlic mixture is blended and stirred into the pot, so the broth turns pale and slightly cloudy. That is expected for this version.

Can I add carrot?

Some cooks do, according to the recipe author. It is a household variation and not part of this recipe's ingredient list.

What should I serve with it?

Plain arepas on the side are the simplest choice. The author also enjoys it with ají, avocado and white rice. All of these are optional.

Sources

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