Consomé is a Mexican-style broth infused with the fresh flavors of tomatoes, garlic, onion, and chiles. Use it as a base for soup or a dip for tacos, flautas, tostadas, and much more!
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📖 What is consomé?
Technically speaking, consomé (or consommé) is a clear soup made by clarifying stock or bone broth.
Essentially, the stock is simmered with egg whites, which forms a top layer. This way, all of the impurities can be strained out, leaving a crystal clear broth (or consommé).
So, this recipe is not a consommé in the most literal sense. But, consomé is frequently used to describe a flavorful broth in Mexican cuisine. It is often served with tacos, flautas, gorditas, or tostadas.
A common preparation involves some type of meat, vegetables (like tomatoes, onions, and garlic), chiles, and different seasonings.
🍲 Stock vs broth vs consommé
Stock — The necessary ingredients for stock include mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) and bones. Generally, stock is unseasoned and quite a lot thicker than broth.
Broth — Broth is a liquid that various meats have simmered in. You can make broth with a base of stock that is seasoned with salt. It is lighter and thinner than stock.
Consommé — Clarified stock or bone broth. Consommé becomes a crystal clear liquid that is served on its own or with meats and vegetables.
🤔 Consomé vs consommé
While a French-style consommé is always clear, a Mexican consomé has a somewhat broader definition. There are three main types:
Tomato consomé — Meat and tomato-based sauce that is often served with foods like tacos, flautas, and sopitos.
Birria consomé — Usually made with beef or goat and flavored with various chiles and seasonings. Used in recipes like quesabirria tacos, birria ramen, or birria tacos.
Chicken consomé — A clear chicken broth that is typically served with meat and vegetables to make caldo de pollo.
📜 History
Consommé has been around since the Middle Ages, taking on many forms from drinks and soups to gelatinous fruit desserts. This sweet consommé is where modern-day gelatin-based treats like jello originated.
It's not entirely clear when consomé became such a large part of Mexican cuisine. Nevertheless, it has been around for quite some time.
🌱 Is consomé vegan?
A traditional consomé is not vegan since bones, meat, or egg whites are used in the cooking process.
To make a plant-based version, switch out the bones and add more vegetables or vegan "chicken stock" like Better Than Bouillon. After you try this recipe, you will surely realize how flavorful it can be without the need for meat or eggs.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
Tomatoes — We use a base of Roma tomatoes to add acidity, but feel free to use other tomato varieties if you prefer. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene.
Onion, garlic — This combo adds a savory flavor and aroma, making it the perfect choice for consomé.
Chiles in adobo — To add depth and smokiness. You don't need to use any chiles, or you can try other varieties like guajillo or pasilla for different flavor profiles.
Better Than Boullion "No Chicken" base — To add savory flavors similar to a traditional consomé, we opted for "no chicken" base. It adds salty and umami flavors that are more intense than vegetable broth.
Salt, pepper — To enhance and add flavor, use salt and pepper until your consomé tastes just right.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 Instructions
Step 1 — Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, then line a baking pan with foil.
Step 2 — Spread the tomatoes, onions, and unpeeled garlic out evenly on the pan and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Step 3 — Add the roasted tomatoes, onions, peeled garlic, chipotle in adobo, and 1 cup of broth to a blender. Mix on high until smooth.
Step 4 — Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium, then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot. Season it for 5-6 minutes.
Step 5 — Add the rest of the broth and cilantro sprigs. Bring it to a light boil, then turn the heat down to simmer for 15 minutes to deepen the flavors.
Step 6 — Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve consomé as-is, with vegetables in it, or with tacos. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this tomato consomé, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🥗 What to serve with consomé
Consomé is the perfect way to add flavor and depth to many Mexican antojitos and meals. Some of our favorite dishes to serve it with include:
🌡️ Storage & reheating
You never know when you'll need a quick soup base or dipping sauce. Keep these tips in mind when you store your consomé.
Fridge — This vegetable broth will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container. We prefer glass containers as we find the flavor stays fresh for longer, but just make sure they have a good seal.
Freezer — Consomé is freezer-friendly if kept in freezer-safe bags or containers. It will last about 3-4 months, or longer if the container is heavy-duty.
Reheating — To reheat the consomé, add it to a saucepan and cook on medium-low until hot. It can also be microwaved in 30-60 second bursts, but be careful of hot spots.
♻️ Variations
Make it spicy — If you want a spicier consomé, add morita chiles, arbol chiles, or more chipotles in adobo.
Leave it chunky — If you prefer a thicker sauce, skip straining your consomé.
Use other broths — To change the flavor profile of this recipe, try using Better Than Boullion "No Beef" base.
Seasonings — For a more flavor-intense consomé, add herbs and spices like Mexican oregano, cumin, thyme, etc.
🧑🍳 Top tips
Use fresh vegetables — Using fresh vegetables will yield the best-tasting recipe. Avoid anything frozen whenever possible.
Make a double batch — Make extra consomé to save for days when you don't have time to cook a long meal. Simply heat it with extra noodles or vegetables, and dinner is ready!
Strain the mixture — For an extra smooth consistency, strain the vegetable mixture after you blend it.
Season the salsa — To deepen the flavors of this consomé, don't skip simmering the salsa in olive oil before adding the rest of the broth.
💬 FAQ
This consomé recipe calls for a chipotle in adobo, which provides a kick. If you are sensitive to spice, omit the chile altogether.
Yes, vegetable broth works too. We prefer the flavor of "no chicken" base, but either will work. It just comes down to personal preference!
Yes! This consomé recipe is made with fresh vegetables and is a healthy addition to soups, stews, or tacos.
🍴 More recipes like this one
If you enjoyed this vegan consomé recipe, be sure to check out some other saucy and soupy dishes like these:
- Lentil soup: Vegetable and lentil soup that is full of fiber, protein, and flavor.
- Sopa de albóndigas: Black bean "meatball" soup perfect for lunch or dinner.
- Sopa de habas: Fava bean and vegetable soup served with lots of garnishes.
- Tortas ahogadas: Jackfruit carnitas and pickled onions sandwiches covered in fiery red salsa.
📋 Recipe
Best Consomé
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Blender
- Fine mesh strainer
- Stockpot
Ingredients
- 3 Roma tomatoes, halved ($0.48)
- 1 small white onion, quartered ($0.24)
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled ($0.08)
- 1 chipotle in adobo, seeded ($0.04)
- 4-5 cups Better Than Bouillon "No Chicken" Base ($1.32)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil ($0.11)
- 2 cilantro sprigs ($0.05)
- Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F, and line a baking pan with foil. Spread the tomatoes, onions, and unpeeled garlic out evenly on the pan and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, onions, peeled garlic, chipotle in adobo, and 1 cup of broth to a blender. Mix on high until smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the mixture into the pot and season for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the rest of the broth and cilantro sprigs. Bring to a light boil, then turn the heat down to simmer for 15 minutes to deepen the flavors. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Fill your consomé with vegetables to make sopa de verduras, noodles for sopa de fideo or sopa de conchas, or use as a dipping sauce for tacos, etc. Happy eating!
Notes
- Use fresh vegetables — Using fresh vegetables will yield the best-tasting recipe. Avoid anything frozen whenever possible.
- Make a double batch — Make extra consomé to save for days when you don't have time to cook a long meal. Simply heat it with extra noodles or vegetables, and dinner is ready!
- Strain the mixture — For an extra smooth consistency, strain the vegetable mixture after you blend it.
- Season the salsa — To deepen the flavors of this consomé, don't skip simmering the salsa in olive oil before adding the rest of the broth.
- If you don’t have access to Better Than Bouillon “no chicken” base, replace it with vegetable broth.
- We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe to recipe. All prices are in USD.
Nutrition
Note: We've updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
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