Sopa Azteca Mexican Tortilla Soup (Printer View)

A vibrant Mexican soup with smoky tomato-chile broth, crispy tortilla strips, panela cheese, avocado, and fresh cilantro garnish.

# What you'll need:

→ Broth

01 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
02 - 1 medium white onion, chopped
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
05 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
07 - 5 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Tortilla Strips

12 - 8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
13 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Garnishes

14 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
15 - 5 ounces panela cheese, cubed or crumbled
16 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1/2 cup crema or sour cream, optional
18 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

# Method:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
02 - Add chopped Roma tomatoes to the pot and cook until fully softened, approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - While tomatoes cook, toast the stemmed and seeded pasilla and guajillo chiles in a separate dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Do not allow chiles to burn.
04 - Transfer the softened tomatoes, onions, garlic, and toasted chiles to a blender. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until completely smooth.
05 - Return the blended mixture to the pot. Add the remaining 4 cups vegetable broth, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - While the broth simmers, heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortilla strips in batches until golden and crisp, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
07 - Divide crispy tortilla strips among serving bowls. Ladle hot broth over the strips. Top with panela cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of crema if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy, golden tortilla strips and the silky chile-tomato broth is pure comfort that hits different on a cold afternoon.
  • You can have everything ready in less than an hour, making it perfect for impressing people without spending all day in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The tortilla strips must go into the bowl just before you eat, or they'll become soggy disappointments instead of the textured treasure they're meant to be.
  • Toasting the dried chiles is non-negotiable if you want that smoky depth, but watch them like a hawk because burnt chiles taste bitter and ruin the whole thing.
03 -
  • Fry your tortilla strips in batches rather than all at once, because crowding the pan makes them steam instead of fry, and steamed tortillas are sad tortillas.
  • Always lime your broth just before serving, because that squeeze of acid is what makes every single component taste more like itself.
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