Mexican Tortilla Soup

Mexican tortilla soup (sopa de tortilla, sometimes called sopa azteca) is one of those bowls where the toppings are the whole point. The base is deceptively simple: tomato sauce sizzled with onion, then thinned with chicken broth and seasoned. What makes this version sing is the layered finish at the table, where each bowl gets fried tortilla strips, fried pasilla chiles broken into shards, a slice of buttery avocado, grated cheese, and a drizzle of cream.

Frying the tortilla strips first and reserving them on paper towels is non-skip. Stale or fresh, sliced thin, fried hot. They go from limp to shattering in about 30 seconds. Drop them into the soup straight from the towel and they’re crisp on top, soft underneath. Let them sit too long in the broth and they collapse into noodles.

The pasilla chile is the secret weapon. Dry, dark, raisin-sweet, slightly smoky. A quick fry in oil for 5 seconds per side puffs them up and turns them aromatic, and the crumbled bits float on top of each bowl like nori on ramen. Dried pasillas are sold at Mexican markets and well-stocked grocery stores. Don’t substitute fresh poblanos. The flavor isn’t even close.

Pro Tips

• Use day-old corn tortillas. They fry up crispier than fresh, which retain too much moisture.
• Fry the pasilla chiles for just a few seconds. Burnt chiles taste bitter all the way through.
• Use Mexican crema if you can find it. American sour cream works but is tangier and thicker.
• Cotija or queso fresco are the traditional cheeses. Mild, salty, and they crumble cleanly over the hot soup.

Variations

• Roast and char a few tomatoes and an onion before blending into the base for a smokier, more complex broth.
• Add a chopped chipotle in adobo for extra heat and smoke.
• Top with shredded poached chicken to turn this into a heartier main-dish bowl.