LunchMain Course

Sopa de Tortilla

Name: Sopa de Tortilla
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 8 pcs corn tortilla cut into thin strips; 0.5 cup vegetable oil; 4 pcs roma tomato; 0.5 pcs white onion roughly chopped; 2 clove garlic peeled; 1 pcs pasilla chili stemmed and deseeded; 1 pcs ancho chili stemmed and deseeded; 6 cup vegetable broth; 5 g epazote; 1 tsp salt; 1 pcs avocado diced; 1 pcs lime cut into wedges; 0.25 cup cotija cheese crumbled (optional)

A comforting and flavorful Mexican soup featuring a rich tomato-based broth, crispy tortilla strips, and fresh garnishes. This vegetarian version offers a hearty and satisfying meal perfect for lunch or a light dinner. The layers of texture and bright flavors create a delightful culinary experience.

An original recipe by Forkin

Total time: 50 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Per serving: 537 kcal

Allergen information: may contain milk. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.

Mise en place

Ingredients

8 pcscorn tortilla, cut into thin strips
4 pcsroma tomato
0.5 pcswhite onion, roughly chopped
2 clovegarlic, peeled
1 pcspasilla chili, stemmed and deseeded
1 pcsancho chili, stemmed and deseeded
6 cupvegetable broth
5 gepazote
1 tspsalt

for frying

0.5 cupvegetable oil

garnish

1 pcsavocado, diced
1 pcslime, cut into wedges
0.25 cupcotija cheese, crumbled(optional)

Equipment

large skillet · paper towels · fine-mesh sieve · pot · blender · slotted spoon

The method

Step by step

1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Ensure the oil is hot enough, but not smoking, for even frying.
2
Fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per batch.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Do not overcrowd the pan, as this can lower the oil temperature and lead to soggy tortillas.
3
Remove the fried tortilla strips with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
About 1 min
4
In a separate pot, cover the roma tomatoes, white onion, and garlic with water and bring to a boil.
About 5 min
5
Boil for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften slightly, then remove from heat and drain.
About 5 min
6
Place the boiled tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender.
About 1 min
7
Add the pasilla chili and ancho chili to the blender with a small amount of the vegetable broth.
8
Blend until smooth, adding more broth if needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
About 2 min
9
Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: This step ensures a smooth, refined broth without any fibrous bits from the chilies or tomato skins.
10
Add the remaining vegetable broth to the strained mixture in the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
About 5 min
11
Stir in the epazote and salt.
Cook’s note: Epazote adds a traditional, earthy, and slightly anise-like flavor characteristic of Mexican cuisine. If unavailable, you can omit it or use a bay leaf as a substitute, though the flavor profile will differ.
12
Simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
About 15 min
13
To serve, place a handful of crispy tortilla strips in each bowl.
14
Ladle the hot soup over the tortilla strips.
15
Garnish with diced avocado, lime wedges, and crumbled cotija cheese, if using.

Per serving

Nutrition

65%Score

Calories: 537.3kcal
Protein: 9.6g
Carbs: 46g
Fat: 38.2g
Fibre: 10.1g
Sugar: 7.5g

Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.

Keep it good

Storage

Store leftover soup and tortilla strips separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Reheating

Reheat soup gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add fresh tortilla strips just before serving.