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Caldo de Costilla

A steaming bowl of beef rib soup with potatoes and cilantro — the classic Andean breakfast for cold mornings.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 1 hr 10 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 Colombian KitchenCategory
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Caldo de Costilla

Caldo de costilla is the reviving breakfast of Colombia’s highlands, beef ribs simmered into a savory broth with potatoes and cilantro. It is served first thing in the morning with bread, and it is the dish Colombians crave when they need warming up.

Breakfast that fixes everything

The broth is clear, beefy, and deeply savory, with melting rib meat that falls off the bone and soft potato cubes. A final cloud of cilantro and a squeeze of lime make it bright and bracing — the perfect start to a cold day.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Simmer the ribs in the water with the onion and garlic over medium heat for 45 minutes, skimming foam, until the meat is tender.
  2. Add the potatoes and cumin and cook 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are soft.
  3. Season generously with salt — the broth should be deeply savory.
  4. Stir in most of the cilantro and cook 2 minutes more.
  5. Ladle into bowls, meat, potatoes, and broth together.
  6. Top with the remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges and bread or rice.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Skim the foam as the ribs simmer for a clean, golden broth. Caldo de costilla keeps 3 days refrigerated; reheat gently and add fresh cilantro at the end.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook1 hr 10 min
Servings4
CategoryColombian Kitchen
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →