Sopa de Tortilla (Mexican Tortilla Soup)

About This Recipe

Sopa de tortilla — or sopa azteca as it is sometimes called — is the definitive Mexican soup: a dark, deeply flavored broth built from blended guajillo and pasilla chiles, charred tomatoes and onion, fried until the flavors concentrate and deepen, then simmered with epazote (a pungent Mexican herb with a wild, resinous flavor unlike anything in European cooking) and chicken broth. Into this smoky, complex broth go strips of corn tortillas, fried until completely crisp, which gradually soften in the hot liquid to a silky-chewy texture — never completely dissolving, always retaining some structure and corn flavor. The garnishes are what elevate sopa de tortilla from soup to a full sensory experience: sliced avocado or guacamole for creaminess; crema (Mexican soured cream, thinner and less tangy than American sour cream) drizzled over the surface; crumbled queso fresco or panela for salty freshness; additional fried tortilla strips for crunch; and chipotle chile in adobo for those who want more heat. Each bowl is assembled individually at the table, with diners adding garnishes to their taste. Sopa de tortilla is fundamentally a dish of economy and resourcefulness: stale corn tortillas that would otherwise be wasted become the soul of the soup. The technique of frying dried tortilla strips in oil until completely crisp (not just toasted — fully fried until rigid and golden) is what gives the soup its character. Store-bought tortilla chips are an acceptable shortcut for home cooks, though they lack the thickness and corn flavor of hand-cut and fried strips.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8corn tortillas(day-old or stale; cut into 1 cm strips)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(for frying tortilla strips)
• 3 driedguajillo chiles(stemmed, seeded and soaked in boiling water 15 min)
• 2 driedpasilla chiles(stemmed, seeded and soaked in boiling water 15 min)
• 3 largeroma tomatoes(charred on a dry comal or under a broiler)
• 0.5white onion(charred)
• 3 clovesgarlic(charred)
• 1 litrechicken broth
• 2 sprigsepazote(fresh; or 1 tsp dried; substitute fresh cilantro if unavailable)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspvegetable oil(for frying the chile-tomato base)
• 1ripe avocado(sliced, for serving)
• 4 tbspMexican crema or sour cream(for serving)
• 100 gqueso fresco(crumbled, for serving)
• 1–2chipotle chiles in adobo(sliced, for serving)
• 1lime(cut into wedges, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the tortilla strips

   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortilla strips in batches, turning occasionally, until completely golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes per batch. They must be fully crisp — not just lightly toasted. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.

   Day-old or slightly stale tortillas fry crispier than fresh ones. If using fresh tortillas, let them air-dry for 1 hour or toast in a 150°C oven for 10 minutes first.

2. 2

   Char the aromatics

   On a dry comal or under the broiler, char the tomatoes, onion and garlic until the skins are blackened in spots. This charring is the source of the broth's deep, roasted character.

3. 3

   Blend the chile-tomato base

   Drain the soaked chiles (reserve soaking water). Blend soaked chiles, charred tomatoes, onion, garlic and 250ml of the chicken broth until smooth. Pass through a strainer if you prefer a smoother broth.

4. 4

   Fry and simmer the base

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in the blended chile-tomato purée and cook, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until it darkens and thickens and the raw chile flavor cooks out. Add the remaining chicken broth and the epazote. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and cook 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Assemble the bowls

   Place a handful of fried tortilla strips in each bowl. Ladle the hot broth over the strips. Immediately top with sliced avocado, a drizzle of crema, crumbled queso fresco and strips of chipotle chile. Serve with lime wedges. The tortilla strips should be just beginning to soften — some crunch should remain.

Variations

• •

  Sopa azteca con pollo: add shredded poached chicken breast to the broth for a heartier, protein-rich version — the standard restaurant preparation throughout Mexico City.

• •

  Sopa de lima (Yucatán lime soup): a related Yucatecan variant that uses bitter Seville orange juice and lime, habanero chile and sour orange broth instead of guajillo-pasilla — a bright, citrusy alternative.

Storage

Store the broth and fried tortilla strips separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat broth and add fresh tortilla strips when serving — never store assembled bowls. Fried tortilla strips stay crisp in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions