Tortilla Soup

Name: Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla)
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, bianco, or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese; 1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, bianco, or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese; 1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, bianco, or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese; 1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, bianco, or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese; 1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, bianco, or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese; 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced; 3 fresh tomatoes, roasted or blanched and peeled, or canned tomatoes; 3 fresh tomatoes, roasted or blanched and peeled, or canned tomatoes; 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade; 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade; 1 cup shredded cooked chicken; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste; ½ cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; ½ cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; ½ cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 2 dried chiles, preferably pasilla, stemmed, seeded, and sliced; 1 large onion, diced; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 6 corn tortillas (stale are fine), cut into ¼-inch strips

Sopa de Tortilla

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

The Best Recipes in the World

By Mark Bittman

Published 2005

About

This classic Mexican soup is the perfect solution for leftovers—stale tortillas, cold chicken, and overly ripe tomatoes. It can be garnished with a variety of toppings, from the classic avocado and cheese to steamed greens.

Ingredients

½ cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
6 corn tortillas (stale are fine), cut into ¼-inch strips

Americas
Mexico
Gluten-free
Soup
Leftovers
Central America

Method

Put the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; a couple of minutes later, when the oil is hot, begin to fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden brown and crisp, turning after a minute or two, for a total of 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and onion,