Sopa Azteca Mexican Soup (Print View)

Smoky tomato-chile broth served over crispy tortilla strips with creamy panela cheese and ripe avocado.

# Components:

→ Broth

01 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
02 - 1 medium white onion, chopped
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
05 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
07 - 5 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Tortilla Strips

12 - 8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
13 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Garnishes

14 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
15 - 5 ounces panela cheese, cubed or crumbled
16 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1/2 cup crema or sour cream
18 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

# Directions:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
02 - Add chopped Roma tomatoes to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - While tomatoes are cooking, toast the stemmed and seeded pasilla and guajillo chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Do not allow them to burn.
04 - Transfer the softened tomatoes, onions, garlic, and toasted chiles to a blender. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until completely smooth.
05 - Return the blended mixture to the pot. Add remaining 4 cups vegetable broth, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - While the broth simmers, heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry tortilla strips until golden and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
07 - Divide crispy tortilla strips among serving bowls. Ladle hot broth over the strips. Top each portion with panela cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of crema. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tortilla strips stay gloriously crispy even when they hit the hot broth if you time it right, which feels like a small magic trick every single time.
  • It's vegetarian but tastes deeply satisfying and smoky, like it took hours when you've actually spent less than an hour in the kitchen.
  • The combination of textures (crispy, creamy, fresh) in one bowl makes your mouth genuinely happy.
02 -
  • Don't blend the chiles with cold broth or they can clump and taste gritty—always use warm or room temperature broth for the blender step.
  • If you fry all your tortilla strips too far ahead, they'll soften even covered, so fry them while the broth is simmering for best results.
03 -
  • Make the broth an hour or two ahead and reheat it gently while you fry tortilla strips fresh—this timing trick keeps everything at its best.
  • If panela cheese isn't available, crumbled queso fresco works beautifully, or even a soft feta if that's what your market has.
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