The cheese is usually added only at the end, once the other are ingredients are boiled, to prevent gratination. It is most usually prepared with dices of queso ranchero, queso fresco or queso cotija; the contact with the boiling soup heats the cheese and gives it a gummy, chewable texture; in turn it melts slightly, giving the soup a characteristic flavor.
Caldo de queso is generally accompanied by chiltepin or totopos (fried corn tortilla chips).