Mole de olla – beef and vegetable soup in red chilli broth
A hearty beef shank soup in a red guajillo and ancho chilli broth, with corn on the cob, courgettes, green beans, potato and epazote, served with chopped onion, lime and tortillas. In central Mexico a sour cactus fruit (xoconostle) often goes in too.
- 2 h 10Time
- 43 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- ≈ $61per portion
- 740kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 1 kgBeef shank, cut into slices on the bone
- ≈ 2.5 lWater
- ½Yellow onion, in one piece
- 3 clovesGarlic
- to tasteSalt
- 5Guajillo chiles
- 2Ancho chiles
- 2Tomatoes
- 2 clovesGarlic, for the chilli sauce
- 1 tbspRapeseed oil
- 2Corn cobs
- 400 gPotato
- 150 gGreen beans
- 400 gCourgette
- 2 sprigsEpazote
On the side
- ½Yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2Limes, in wedges
- 12Corn tortillas
Method
- Put the beef in a large pot with the water, the piece of onion, the garlic and some salt. Bring to the boil and skim off the foam that rises.
- Partly cover and simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours, until the beef is almost tender.
- Meanwhile, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chillies. Toast them for a few seconds per side in a hot, dry frying pan without letting them burn.
- Boil the chillies and tomatoes in a little water for 10 minutes, until the chillies are soft.
- Drain, then blend the chillies and tomatoes until smooth with the garlic and about 250 ml of broth from the pot. Sieve the sauce.
- Cut each corn cob into three, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, cut the green beans into short lengths and the courgettes into large chunks.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chilli sauce for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and thickens.
- Stir the chilli sauce into the soup, add the corn and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the courgettes, green beans and epazote and simmer for 12 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, cut the limes into wedges and warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan.
- Serve the soup in deep bowls with a piece of beef and some of each vegetable. Let everyone add onion and lime to taste, with the tortillas on the side.
The cost is estimated from average prices in Mexico (PROFECO, Quién es Quién en los Precios (datos abiertos), 2026-07).
