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Soups

Mexican Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla)

TIME

50 min

DIFFICULTY

Medium

SERVINGS

4

CALORIES

343 kcal

CARBS

33 g

PROTEIN

11 g

FAT

20 g

Z Mexican Tortilla Soup

About this recipe

Sopa de Tortilla is a traditional Mexican soup with roots in the country’s corn-based culinary heritage. Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture traces the original version to Tlaxcala, where a tomato, garlic, onion, pasilla chile, and epazote broth is served with crisp corn tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese. This version keeps those classic flavors while using baked tortilla strips for a lighter, more reproducible preparation.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

Classic flavors from central Mexican cuisine Smoky pasilla chile with tomato, epazote, and corn Crispy tortillas with creamy avocado and queso fresco

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp (15 ml / 13.5 g) olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion (about 150 g), chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves (about 9 g), minced
  • 2 dried pasilla chiles (about 14 g total), stemmed and seeded
  • 17.5 oz (500 g) ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 cups (960 ml) chicken broth
  • 1 large sprig epazote (about 5 g)
  • ½ tsp fine salt, or to taste
  • 6 corn tortillas (about 150 g), cut into thin strips
  • 1 medium Hass avocado (about 150 g edible portion), diced
  • 3.5 oz (100 g) queso fresco, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, for serving

Preparation

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, until softened and lightly golden.
  2. Add the garlic and one of the pasilla chiles. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to break down.
  4. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot.
  5. Add the chicken broth, epazote, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. While the soup simmers, arrange the tortilla strips on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 8–12 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.
  7. Toast the remaining pasilla chile briefly in a dry skillet until fragrant, then crumble or slice it into thin pieces for garnish.
  8. Remove the epazote from the soup. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
  9. Divide the soup among four bowls. Top each serving with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, queso fresco, toasted pasilla chile, oregano, and a drizzle of fresh lime juice.

Tips

  • Do not burn the pasilla chile; over-toasting can make it bitter.
  • Bake the tortilla strips until fully crisp so they keep some texture after being added to the broth.
  • Add the avocado and queso fresco only at serving time.

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