That homemade chicken stock makes an excellent base for tortilla soup.
The first time I tried tortilla soup was while house-sitting in Kansas City earlier this year. The version I had used a packet soup base and you added tortilla strips and toppings yourself. It wasn’t authentic, but it was surprisingly good once I added fresh chili, sour cream, cheese and crunchy tortilla pieces.
Since then I’ve tasted the real thing in Mexico and decided to recreate it at home. Using homemade chicken stock enriched the flavor and made the soup feel fresher and more wholesome than the packet version.
I cut the corn tortillas into long strips so they curl up as they fry, which gives a nice visual texture in the bowl. I recommend using tortillas that are at least a day old — store-bought ones work well — otherwise very fresh tortillas can fall apart while frying.
Mexican Tortilla Soup
Recipe by Julia
Servings
4
servings
Prep time
5
minutes
Cooking time
40
minutes
Ingredients
-
3 cloves garlic, chopped
-
1/2 onion, chopped
-
3 tomatoes, quartered
-
6 cups chicken stock
-
8–10 corn tortillas (preferably a day old)
-
Cooking oil
-
Avocado, crumbly cheese (such as feta), sour cream and lime to garnish
Directions
- Sauté the garlic, onion and tomatoes in a large pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook until softened but not browned. Transfer the mixture to a blender with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and purée until smooth.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over high heat and sauté the tomato purée. Bring to a boil for two minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes; the purée should begin to thicken.
- Add the remaining chicken stock to the purée, raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for fifteen minutes.
- Cut the tortillas into long thin strips (scissors work well). Pour enough oil to cover the bottom of a heavy pan and heat over high heat. Fry the tortilla strips in batches, turning with tongs until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Ladle the hot tomato broth into serving bowls, add a handful of fried tortilla strips and garnish with avocado pieces, crumbled cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- Adapted from Mexico: The Beautiful Cookbook.