20+ Mexican Soups You’ve Probably Never Heard Of (But Need to Try ASAP)

Curious about the best soups from Mexico?

You’re in the right place because I’m a devout foodie who’s been living in Mexico since 2018 — and eating my way across this wonderful country for years.

When it comes to Mexican cuisine, soups are an art form. Whether you’re looking for comfort, bold flavors, or a warm embrace in a bowl, Mexico’s soups deliver.

Here are 20 of the best Mexican soups, each one a culinary masterpiece that you should definitely add to your must-try list.

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1. Pozole Rojo (The BEST Mexican Soup)

Pozole Rojo is the ultimate Mexican comfort food — and most people would call Pozole the BEST Mexican soup of them all.

This hearty soup features hominy, tender pork, and a rich broth flavored with dried red chiles.

It’s garnished with shredded iceberg lettuce (some people use green cabbage), radishes, diced white onion, lime, Mexican oregano, and dried chili powder for added heat — creating a perfect harmony of flavors and textures.

Often served during celebrations and Mexican Christmas dinners, Pozole Rojo is a bowl of tradition and love.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Pozole Rojo recipe

2. Pozole Verde (Green Pozole Soup)

While Pozole Rojo is the best-known of all types of Mexican pozole, it’s not the only one — there is also Pozole Verde (green pozole) and Pozole Blanco (white pozole).

Pozole Verde hails from Guerrero state and features a vibrant green broth made with tomatillos (green tomatoes), cilantro, and green chiles.

This soup typically uses chicken instead of pork and has a fresh, tangy flavor that’s absolutely irresistible.

Like its red pozole counterpart, it’s topped with crunchy garnishes for added texture.

🍲 Make your own with this best Pozole Verde recipe

3. Pozole Blanco (White Pozole Soup)

Pozole Blanco keeps things simple, though no less delicious. Without the addition of red or green chiles, this version lets the flavor of the pork and hominy shine.

Garnished with the usual suspects — lettuce, radish, white onion, and lime juice — it’s a lighter yet satisfying take on the classic pozole.

🍲 Make your own with this best Pozole Blanco recipe

4. Sopa Azteca (Mexican Tortilla Soup)

Sopa Azteca, which is commonly called Tortilla Soup outside of the country, is a Mexican soup classic.

The tomato-based broth is seasoned with smoky pasilla chiles and topped with fried tortilla strips, avocado, panela cheese, and a dollop of crema (sour cream).

It’s a simple yet deeply flavorful soup that’s perfect for any day of the week.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe

5. Menudo (AKA Pancita)

Depending on where you are in Mexico, you will either hear this soup called Menudo (the same name as Ricky Martin’s boy band) or Pancita.

Pancita translates to “little belly,” as this traditional soup from Mexico is made with cow stomach (tripe).

While offal (organ meat) isn’t for everyone, those who love Pancita/Menudo swear by it — even considering it a hangover cure they enjoy for breakfast after a long night of drinking way too many Mexican beers.

To cut through the bold flavors in this spicy, fatty soup, you’ll want to garnish it with lime juice, diced white onions, and Mexican oregano for the full experience.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Menudo Soup recipe

6. Sopa de Lima (Mexican Lime Soup)

One of the most popular Yucatan foods, Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup) is a light, citrusy soup made with shredded chicken, lime juice, and crispy tortilla strips.

The tangy lime flavor pairs perfectly with the rich chicken broth, creating a refreshing yet comforting dish from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

In a traditional Mexican lime soup recipe, you’d use lima yucateca, a sweeter lime from the Yucatan — but most recipes outside of Mexico will substitute regular limes.

🍲 Make your own with this best Sopa de Lima recipe

7. Sopa Tarasca (Mexican Bean Soup)

Looking for the best vegan and vegetarian soups from Mexico? Look no further than this ancient soup that’s been made for thousands of years.

A dish from the Purépecha culture of present-day Michoacán state, Sopa Tarasca is made with a base of pureed beans, tomatoes, and chiles.

It’s topped with fried tortilla strips, crema, and a sprinkling of cheese for a rich and satisfying soup perfect for cooler weather.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Sopa Tarasca recipe

8. Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)

Sopa de Fideo is a simple yet beloved Mexican noodle soup with vermicelli noodles toasted and cooked in a tomato-based broth with garlic and onion.

It’s a comforting dish, often served as a starter or light meal.

There’s also a delicious non-soup version of this that uses the same noodles, but no broth. This is called Fideo Seco (dry noodles), and it’s just as delicious.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Sopa de Fideo recipe

9. Cremas (Mexican Cream Soups)

Not to be confused with crema (sour cream), Mexican cream soups (also called Cremas) are smooth, rich, and full of flavor.

Considered among the more elegant Mexican foods, they’re often served as a starter course at weddings, quinceañeras parties, and formal gatherings.

Traditional Mexican Cremas come in several flavors, with popular options including:

• 🌽 Crema de Elote (corn)
• 🌶️ Crema de Chile Poblano (poblano chili pepper)
• 🥑 Crema de Aguacate (avocado)
• 🌼 Crema de Flor de Calabaza (squash blossom, or squash flower)
• 🍄‍🟫 Crema de Champiñón (mushroom)
• 🌱 Crema de Espinaca (spinach)

10. Caldo de Camarón (Mexican Shrimp Soup)

Perfect for seafood lovers, Caldo de Camarón is a flavorful shrimp soup with a tomato and chili broth.

Packed with veggies like potatoes and carrots, it’s a hearty, satisfying dish with a touch of spice that often uses both fresh and dried shrimp for maximum flavor.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Caldo de Camarón recipe

11. Caldo de Siete Mares (Mexican Seafood Soup)

Another seafood lover’s dream, Caldo de Siete Mares (meaning “Seven Seas Soup”) combines shrimp, fish, clams, crab, muscles, and other seafood in a spicy tomato broth.

Sometimes referred to as the Mexican cioppino, it’s a robust, hearty dish that’s as delicious as it is impressive.

You’ll often find it in Mexican beach towns because they have access to the freshest catch — which is key to any great seafood soup.

🍲 Make your own with this best Mexican Caldo de Siete Mares recipe

12. Carne En Su Jugo

Carne En Su Jugo (meaning “Meat In Its Own Juice”) is a beefy soup from Jalisco state that’s especially popular in the city of Guadalajara.

Should you find yourself there, make sure to try it at Karne Garibaldi, which holds the Guinness World Record for Fastest Restaurant Service in the World.

Carne En Su Jugo is made with thinly sliced beef that’s cooked in a broth made from its own juices, along with beans, bacon, and green tomatillos, and topped with cilantro and onions for a fresh finish.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Carne En Su Jugo recipe

13. Caldo Tlalpeño

This traditional Mexican soup is said to have originated in Tlalpan, a neighborhood in southern Mexico City near the famous Xochimilco Canals.

A spicy chicken soup loaded with vegetables, chickpeas, some chipotle for heat, it comes served with avocado slices, queso fresco cheese, and limes.

One of the more healthy Mexican soups (even more so if you omit the cheese), Caldo Tlalpeño is the ultimate comfort soup with a kick.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Caldo Tlalpeño recipe

14. Mole de Olla (Mexican Beef Stew)

Mole de Olla (meaning “Mole From the Pot”) is a rustic soup with chunks of beef, corn, zucchini, and chayote squash in a mildly spicy broth flavored with ancho chile, guajillo chile, epazote, and more.

It uses some of the same ingredients you’d use to make a traditional Mexican mole, but you don’t combine them into a paste (as you would with mole).

For those looking for comfort in a bowl, this hearty Mexican soup is full of traditional flavors, and will warm your soul.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Mole de Olla recipe

15. Caldo de Piedra (Mexican Stone Soup)

One of the most interesting of all the traditional Oaxaca foods, Caldo de Piedra (meaning “Stone Soup”) is a unique prehispanic food cooked using heated stones.

The soup typically includes fish, shrimp, and vegetables in a light, flavorful broth with tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, and spices.

It’s a culinary experience like no other that I’ve only tried once at Ancestral Cocina Tradicional, one of the best restaurants in Oaxaca City, but do hope to eat again one day.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Caldo de Piedra recipe

16. Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Caldo de Res is among the most popular and most beloved of all the Mexican beef soups.

It is packed with hearty vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and cabbage, all in a slow-cooked beef that’s rich, flavorful, and perfect for a comforting meal.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Caldo de Res recipe

17. Gallina Pinta

A northern Mexican soup favorite, Gallina Pinta combines beef, hominy, and pinto beans in a flavorful broth.

It’s a hearty soup that’s perfect for cold days — like those rare days when it does snow in Mexico‘s northern regions that sit at high altitudes.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Gallina Pinta Soup recipe

18. Chilpachole de Jaiba Veracruzano (Mexican Crab Soup)

Chilpachole de Jaiba Veracruzano is a spicy shrimp soup from the Mexican state of Veracruz that’s flavored with masa (corn dough) to give the broth a thicker consistency.

For fans of seafood soup, make sure to try the shrimp version as well, known as Chilpachole de Camarón.

No matter the protein, this ancient food that dates back to Mexico’s prehispanic times is deeply satisfying and full of bold, smoky flavors.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Chilpachole de Jaiba Veracruzano recipe

19. Sopa de Albóndigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

Albóndigas Soup is a comforting bowl of deliciousness with tender meatballs simmered in a tomato-based broth with veggies like carrots, potatoes, and zucchini.

The hint of fresh herbs in the meatballs really takes this soup to the next level, so it’s sure to please even the most picky of foodies.

🍲 Make your own with thisbest Mexican Meatball Soup recipe

Final Thoughts on the Best Mexican Soups

There you have it, foodies — the Top 20 Mexican soups to expand your culinary horizons (and your waistband).

While this list of traditional Mexican foods showcases A LOT of options, here are a few other delicious soups from Mexican you should know about:

1. Caldo de Pavo: A staple Yucatan food, this turkey soup is similar to chicken soup, and among the most common dishes from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

2. Caldo de Rata: Literally meaning to “Rat Soup,” this soup from Zacatecas state contains ratas de campo (field mice) — not actual rats 🐀

During our trip to Zacatecas City, my husband tried it at Loncheria Normita, and he said that rata de campo tastes like chicken (of course).

3. Caldo de Gallina: Meaning “Hen Soup,” Caldo de Gallina originated in Peru, though it’s popular in Mexico City and other parts of Mexico.

It’s basically a chicken soup, but you choose the part(s) of the chicken you want in yours.

4. Pepián: Mexican Pipián (seen above) blurs the line between soup and mole for a delicious fusion dish that will delight fans of thick, hearty soups.

5. Birria: If you visit Guadalajara in Jalisco state, you must try the authentic birria from here.

While many are used to birria tacos and quesabirria quesadillas, most birria in Mexico is served a soup.

6. Caldo de Queso: This cheese soup from northern Mexico’s Sonora state contains chunks of queso ranchero, queso fresco and/or queso cotija cheese.

7. Clemole Morelense: A beef, veggies, and tomato soup, the preparation of Clemole (AKA Tlemole) varies by region.

The most popular is Clemole Morelense from Morelos state, but Clemole Oaxaqueño from Oaxaca is also great.

You now know about 27 delicious Mexican soups, so only one question remains — Which one will you be making or trying first?!