Picadillo Soup

Picadillo Soup with tender beef and chayote in a flavorful tomato broth is delicious on its own or with steamed rice. Hearty and tasty, it's the ultimate comfort food!

There are two forms of Picadillo in the Filipino cuisine. One is a dry stew version, also known as giniling, traditionally made of ground or minced beef, potatoes, carrots, and green peas cooked in tomato sauce. The other is this soup version, usually made of ground or diced beef and potatoes or chayote cooked in a tomato-based broth.

What you'll need

• Beef- Chuck roast, bottom or top round cut into cubes. You can also use ground or minced meat for quicker and economical cooking. Check out our beef potato and pechay soup recipe if you prefer bone-in cuts.
• Chayote- you can swap potatoes and carrots.
• Tomatoes- fresh brings the best flavor; canned tomato sauce is a good alternative in a pinch.
• Onions and garlic- aromatics to enhance flavor
• Fish sauce- adds umami flavor
• Salt and pepper- use to season to taste

Cooking steps

1. The soup draws flavor from the trinity of Filipino cooking: onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Like most Filipino dishes, it starts with ginisa or sauteing diced beef in onions, garlic, and tomatoes until it changes color and the aromatics soften.
2. The beef is then simmered in broth until fork tender, and chayote is added to complete the soup.
3. The soup is seasoned with fish sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

How to serve and store

• This picadillo soup is delicious and satisfying. It can be enjoyed on its own or as a main dish, with steamed rice for lunch or dinner.
• Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can reheat in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals to an internal temperature of 165 F.

More delicious soups

Chicken Sopas

Sotanghon at Bola-Bola Soup

Crab and Corn Soup

La Paz Batchoy

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @kawalingpinoy on Facebook and Instagram!

5 from 6 votes

Picadillo

Filipino-style Beef and Chayote soup is easy to make with simple ingredients yet full of flavor. Serve on its own or with steamed rice as a filling and delicious meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Main Entree, Soup

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4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups water
• 2 pieces chayote, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• salt and pepper to taste

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
• Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. 
• Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and cook until softened and begins to release juice. 
• Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 1 to 1 ½ hours or until tender.
• Add chayote and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes or until tender.
•  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Notes

Cut the ingredients into uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 51g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 133mg, Sodium: 1075mg, Potassium: 1018mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 11.8mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 4mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”