Tortilla soup is one of the hidden jewels of Mexican cuisine. Spicy, rich broth,crispy tortillas, shredded chicken, and slices of cheese come together for a satisfying experience.
Across Mexico, there are various ways to prepare tortilla soup, but they are all very simple to prepare.
This particular recipe is an adaptation from El Calderon in San Cristobal de las Casas, in southern Mexico.
Chicken or Vegetarian?
This recipe includes shredded chicken, but you can easily leave the chicken out to make a vegetarian version. Throw in some extra vegetables, substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and you have vegetarian tortilla soup.
It is just as easy to find tortilla soup with chicken in Mexico as it is to find it without.
Type of Cheese
There are a few cheese options you have here. If you can find it, quesio and/ or queso fresco are the most commonly found cheeses in Mexican tortilla soup. You could use a substitute, like shredded Monterey Jack, if you cannot find the real deal.
Authenticity
"Authentic"? Maybe. To say there is only one authentic recipe might be a stretch for this one. It is possible to find tortilla soups in Mexico with a variety of vegetables, no vegetables, shredded chicken, a whole chicken leg, no chicken, spicy, mild...
Like all great Mexican food, you should use ingredients that are fresh and local. If it is squash season, throw a couple of those bad boys in here. Don't like spicy food? Leave out the chilies. Make this recipe yours.
Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For Tortilla Strips
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
For soup
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped (you can also throw a couple extra jalapenos in to spice the soup up a bit)
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 4 cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock (PLEASE, no water)
- 1 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes (you can substitute a Tablespoon of tomato paste as well)
- 2 cups of shredded chicken
- Optional: diced squash, carrots, corn kernals, hominy, black beans, or any other vegetable you might like could go in as well
Finishers
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup cheese (either queso fresco, shredded Monteret Jack, or even Chihuahua cheese)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, wedged
- Dollop of sour cream or crema
Procedure
Tortilla strips:
- Cut the tortillas into half inch strips.
- Lightly fry in oil until crispy and golden brown. Remove strips, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.
Soup:
- In a soup pot fry onion, garlic, and peppers in a bit of oil until soft.
- Add oregano, tomatoes, chicken, and other vegetables. Allow to simmer for half an hour to meld the flavors.
Serving:
- Ladle a serving of the soup into a bowl. Top with tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, a quarter of an avocado, and a dab of sour cream.
- Serve with a lime wedge and extra cilantro.
Timothy Dzurilla - Dzurilla has been writing about food and food culture for 7 years for various on and off line newspapers. Currently in graduate school ...
