Consomé

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Consomé is a Mexican-style broth infused with the fresh flavors of tomatoes, garlic, onion, and chiles. Use this versatile recipe as a base for soup or a dip for quesabirria tacos, flautas, tostadas, and more!

🧡 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick & easy: There are no complicated steps and ingredients here! Consomé is a recipe that anyone can make, and it takes all of 45 minutes.
• Affordable: This recipe is made with budget-friendly ingredients, like Roma tomatoes, onions, and garlic, which are available at almost every grocery store. 
• Versatile: You can use consomé as a base for soup or a dipping sauce for tacos and tortas. There are so many options!
• Customizable: Feel free to adjust the spice level to your liking, or try adding in other vegetables to make it your own.

If you enjoy consomé, you should really check out our lentil soup, fava bean soup, or vegan tortilla soup.

🍲 What is consomé?

Technically speaking, consomé (or consommé) is a clear soup made by clarifying stock or bone broth. The stock is simmered with egg whites, which forms a top layer.

Once the layer forms, all the impurities are then strained out, leaving a crystal clear broth (or consommé) behind.

So, this recipe is not consommé in the most literal sense, but it’s every bit as delicious! Consomé is also used to describe a flavorful broth in Mexican cuisine.

Common preparations involve some type of meat, vegetables (tomatoes, onions, garlic), chiles, and different seasonings. It’s spicy, savory, and satisfying!

Consomé is perfect for cold weather evenings or when you’re in need of something comforting. Use it as a base for Mexican soups, such as sopa de fideo or sopa de conchas, or pair it with tacos, tortas, and flautas.

🤷🏻 Stock vs broth vs consommé

While these terms are used interchangeably, there are some key differences we thought would be helpful to know:

• 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 or jackfruit 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, and other animal products 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 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 high amounts of lycopene, which is an important antioxidant.
• Onion, garlic: This combination 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 add chiles if you’re sensitive to spice, or you can try other varieties like guajillo or pasilla for different flavor profiles.
• Better Than Bouillon: 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 the other ingredients, 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.

📝 How to make consomé

Step 1: Roast the vegetables

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees 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. Make sure to flip the vegetables at the halfway point so they cook evenly.

Step 2: Blend the vegetables

Add the roasted tomatoes, onions, peeled garlic, chipotle in adobo, and 1 cup of broth to a blender. Mix everything on high until you achieve a smooth consistency.

Step 3: Season the salsa

Heat some olive oil in a large stockpot over medium, then pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot. Passing it through a sieve helps remove any seeds that didn’t fully blend. Cook the salsa in olive oil to deepen the flavors.

Step 4: Simmer the consomé

After about 5 minutes or so, 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.

Step 5: Adjust the seasonings

Taste and season the consomé with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve it 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 all kinds of Mexican antojitos and meals. Some of our favorite dishes to serve it with include these:

• Tacos dorados
• Tostadas
• Sopa de fideo
• Entomatadas
• Sopa de conchas

🌡️ Storage & reheating

You never know when you’ll need a quick soup base or dipping sauce! Keep these tips in mind for storing and reheating 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

• Spicy: If you want a spicier consomé, add morita chiles, arbol chiles, or more chipotles in adobo.
• Thicker consistency: If you’d prefer a thicker consistency, skip straining the consomé.
• Broth flavor: 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.
• Mushroom: For an earthy and umami-rich twist, try using sautéed mushrooms and mushroom broth.
• Chunky: Add diced vegetables, like celery, carrots, and potatoes, for different textures and flavors.

🧑‍🍳 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 into the stockpot after blending 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.
• Use Better Than Bouillon: Using the Better Than Bouillon “no chicken” base is a quick way to add depth without using meat-based ingredients.

💬 FAQ

🍴More recipes like this one

If you enjoyed this consomé recipe, be sure to check out some other saucy dishes like these:

• Sopa de Conchas: Toasted shell pasta in a warm tomato broth.
• Sopa de Coditos: Quick, budget-friendly, and flavorful.
• Sopa de Fideo: Mexican comfort food in the form of a hearty noodle soup.
• Sopa de Frijoles: Rich, creamy, and comforting pinto bean soup.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.