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Tortilla Soup

6 servings
Sopa de Tortilla

Ingredients

  • 3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped white onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 sprig fresh parsley
  • 12 corn tortillas, cut into 1- to 2-inch strips
  • 1 ancho or pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1-inch strips and quickly fried (optional, for garnish)
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • 8 ounces queso fresco, diced
  • 1/2 cup Mexican style cream, crème fraiche or sour cream
  • 1 ripe Mexican avocado, halved, pitted, meat scooped out and diced

To Prepare

  • Set a comal or skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, toast the guajillo chiles for about a minute per side.
  • In a medium saucepan, place the toasted guajillos, tomatoes, and garlic clove and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes, until tomatoes are fully cooked and mushy, and the guajillos have rehydrated and plumped up.
  • Place the guajillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender, along with 1 cup of the simmering liquid and salt. Puree until completely smooth.
  • In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, but not smoking, pour in the tomato puree. It will sizzle, make noise and smoke. Partially cover with a lid, if you need to. Let the puree cook, season and thicken, changing from a bright red to a darker red and thicker consistency, for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the chicken broth, add the parsley sprig and once it comes to a simmer, continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Before serving, remove the parsley sprig.
  • To prepare the garnishes: Fry or bake the tortilla strips. Flash fry the ancho or pasilla chile strips, literally 5 seconds in already hot oil in a skillet set over medium heat, drain in a paper towel.
  • Serve in soup bowls. Add a handful of tortilla crisps, and let people decide how much cream, queso fresco, chile crisps and avocado to add to their bowls. Or, if you don’t want to give anyone a choice, place all the garnishes in the soup plates, and pour the hot soup into the bowls at the table.