Mexican Tortilla Soup with Pasilla Chile
shared by Nibblore Español
This tortilla soup combines a smoky roasted tomato and pasilla chile broth with crisp tortilla strips, avocado, and queso fresco. Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic deepens their flavor, while adding the tortilla strips just before serving keeps them crunchy. It makes a satisfying, comforting weeknight dinner. • Toast the chiles only until fragrant; if they burn, they will make the entire soup bitter. • Add the tortilla strips immediately before eating so they stay crisp. • For less heat, completely remove the seeds and inner ribs from the chiles before toasting. • Replace the pasilla chiles with ancho chiles for a sweeter, milder flavor. • For a vegetarian version, use celery-free vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. • Substitute mild feta or Cotija for the queso fresco, reducing the soup's salt if the cheese is particularly salty. • If Mexican crema is unavailable, thin sour cream with 1–2 teaspoons of water until pourable. Refrigerate the soup without its toppings in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Store the tortilla strips in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat the soup in a pot over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water or stock if it has thickened; add the toppings when serving.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 10corn tortillas, preferably day-old
- 3 tbspvegetable oil, divided
- 750 gRoma tomatoes, halved
- ½white onion, cut into wedges
- 3 clovegarlic, unpeeled
- 2dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
- ½ tspground cumin
- 1 ¼ llow-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tspfine salt, plus more to taste
- 200 gcooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1avocado, diced
- 100 gqueso fresco, crumbled
- 80 mlMexican crema
- 1lime, cut into wedges
- 15 gfresh cilantro, leaves picked
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 220°C. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side down, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves in a 33 × 23 cm metal roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and their skins are browned in spots.
- 2While the vegetables roast, cut 8 tortillas into strips about 6 mm wide; reserve the remaining 2 tortillas. Toss the strips with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil, spread them in a single layer on another baking sheet, and bake at 220°C for 8–12 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisp. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- 3Heat a dry 4-litre pot over medium heat. Toast the pasilla chiles for 10–15 seconds per side, pressing them down lightly, until fragrant; do not let them blacken. Carefully add 300 ml of the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, turn off the heat, and let the chiles rehydrate for 10 minutes.
- 4Peel the roasted garlic. Transfer the tomatoes and their juices, onion, garlic, chiles and soaking liquid, 2 reserved tortillas torn into pieces, oregano, and cumin to a blender. Remove the center cap from the lid and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel to let steam escape. Blend for 1–2 minutes, until completely smooth.
- 5Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the pot over medium heat. Carefully pour in the purée and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly darker, no longer raw-smelling, and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- 6Stir in the remaining 950 ml of stock and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat, and cook partially covered for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 3 minutes more, until heated through. If the soup is too thick, add 60–120 ml of water; taste and adjust the salt.
- 7Divide the hot soup among 4 bowls. Top with the tortilla strips, avocado, queso fresco, crema, and cilantro. Serve immediately with the lime wedges for squeezing over the soup.