Quick and Easy

The Mexican cheese soup with queso fresco is a sponsored collaboration with Real California Milk.

Queso Fresco (Key-so Fres-co)? Yes, Please!

In Mexican cuisine, queso fresco and crema fresca are two ingredients that are a must-have. Especially when making classic recipes like this Mexican cheese soup, also called Caldo de Queso.

The original recipe comes from my family’s recipe box. My great grandmother, Doña Carlotita, used to cook this caldo for us during the cold weather months.

Enjoy this Caldo de Queso at Home!

The Mexican cheese soup is not only comforting, it is a complete meal. It has diced potatoes and onions, corn, chopped garlic, chile pasado (or roasted poblano), warm milk, chicken bouillon, and cubed queso fresco.

The recipe is simple to follow – the hardest part is waiting for the caldo de queso to be ready. I love serving this soup with warm bread and garnishing it with ribbons of crema Mexicana and crumbled queso.

Learn about Real California Milk Hispanic-style queso!

As a Mexican living in the United States for the last twenty years, it has been a pleasant surprise to be able to find the dairy products and cheeses I grew up with.

Hispanic-style cheeses produced in the USA come in different forms and flavors. But all have one commonality – the best are made with Real California Milk, including the queso fresco and the crema (crem-ah) I used for the Mexican cheese soup recipe.

The crema Mexicana has a sweet, tangy flavor similar to crème fraîche. We use it to garnish many recipes and as a main ingredient for chiles en nogada and fresas con crema.

Queso Fresco (Key-so Fres-co): Fresh, mild flavor, softens when heated. We use it in soups, crumbled to stuff enchiladas, and goes great with pasta too!

Queso Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka): Fresh, mild flavor, very creamy, melts like Mozzarella. This is perfect for stringy quesadillas and to add to molletes and semitas for an authentic Mexican flavor.

Queso Cotija (Ko-tee-hah): Aged, robust flavor, salty, typically shredded or crumbled similar to Feta or Parmesan. This is a classic on top tostadas, flautas, and corn on the cob or refried beans. Adds a subtle finish and flavor contrast.

Queso Panela (Pah-neh-la): Fresh, light, and sweet flavor, like dry-pressed Ricotta. This is perfect for desserts and for pairing with jellies and fruit preserves.

Family Heritage and my Northern Roots.

My family is from the state of Chihuahua, located in the north of the Mexican republic and border with Texas. Our northern culture and cuisine are all about meat, milk, cheese, dried chilis, potatoes, corn, wheat, apples, pecans and stone fruits.

One of my uncles was a farmer who owned an apple and quince orchard, where I used to visit with my family and aunts. Many times, the fresh produce ended up on our table, and my Aunt Julieta would prepare for us heavenly apple pie and quince preserves.

Because Chihuahua is close to the border, its cuisine shares many of the American traditions, such as turkey and stuffing, and steak and eggs. But the caldo de queso con papas or Mexican cheese soup was a typical dish in our diet.

I still remember going in to my great grandmother’s cocina and being greeted with those aromas of the soup and milky cheese. Not to mention the freshly made flour tortillas.

Food is what brings us back to our roots!

Homemade dishes and those cooked by our ancestors are what bring us back to our roots. I like to prepare classic family dishes like this Mexican cheese soup to have the opportunity to connect back to who I am. Because bringing back the warmth of those family recipes nourishes my soul.

Are you ready to make the caldo de queso at home?

Make this recipe or experiment by remixing your own family recipe using Real California Milk Hispanic-style dairy items. Follow them on Instagram too @RealCalifMilk!

Find Hispanic-style dairy products with the Real California Milk Seal at your local supermarket with this Product Locator Tool.