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Tortilla soup served in a styled dish.

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Tortilla soup

Yield
4 servings

This soup is a deep red broth made from toasted dried chiles and charred tomatoes. You add poached chicken to the pot and crisp fried tortilla strips at the table. It also teaches two Mexican kitchen techniques that give any broth more depth: toasting dried chiles and frying the blended sauce.

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Ingredients

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4 servings · US measures · 1 batch

Batching

Cook one batch in each 5- to 6-quart pot with its own 10- to 12-inch skillet work; for a larger yield, use a second pot. Toast and fry in small loads whatever the yield, and blend in half-full batches. Cooking times and cues do not multiply with ingredient quantities.

Original recipe: 4 servings.

The optional epazote, the cilantro and any extra salt or broth are excluded from the base nutrition scenario. Low-sodium chicken broth, canola oil, fine salt and Mexican crema are the selected ingredients. Nutrition is incomplete because the guajillo mass, the frying oil the strips absorb, the crema and the lime juice squeezed at the table are not established.

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Before you start

  • Read through the recipe before heating the skillet. Gather the skillet, pot, kettle, bowl and plate, blender and towel, thermometer, spatula, tongs, slotted spoon, forks, cutting board, sheet pan, lined plate and the measured ingredients.

Directions

1

Read and gather

For the whole recipe

Read through the recipe and gather the equipment. Use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything: spread the tortilla strips on the sheet pan to dry, heat the kettle, and keep the chicken in the refrigerator until it goes into the pot. Everything is prepared and measured before the skillet goes on the heat.

2

Toast the chiles

For each pot of soup

Toast the chiles in a dry 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Press 3 whole dried guajillo chiles and 1 whole dried pasilla chile flat against the skillet with the spatula, a few at a time, until they smell toasty and blister, about 10 to 20 seconds a side. Throw out any chile that turns black, because one burned chile makes the whole pot bitter.

3

Soak the chiles

For each pot of soup

Soak the toasted chiles in the heatproof bowl, covered with very hot water from the kettle and held under with the small plate, until they are soft and floppy, about 15 minutes. Drain them and throw out the soaking water, which can taste bitter.

4

Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic

For each pot of soup

Char about 1 lb ripe Roma tomatoes, about 4 oz white onion and 3 cloves garlic in the same skillet over medium-high heat, turning them now and then with the tongs, until the tomatoes blacken in patches and slump and the onion is charred at the edges, about 10 minutes. Take the garlic out sooner, as soon as it is soft and brown-spotted, and peel it once it is cool enough to handle.

5

Blend the chile base

For each pot of soup

Blend the drained chiles, the charred vegetables with their juices and about 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Work in two batches if needed, with the jar no more than half full, the center cap removed and a folded towel over the opening.

6

Heat the oil and fry the base

For each pot of soup

Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pour in the chile base all at once and stand back until the sputtering calms. Stir and scrape over medium heat until the base turns brick red and holds a trail from the spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. If it spatters hard, set the lid on at an angle and keep stirring under it.

7

Add the broth and poach the chicken

For each pot of soup

Add about 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1 sprig fresh epazote, if using, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Slide in about 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs and turn to low heat so only a few small bubbles rise. Poach until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest thigh reads 165°F (74°C), the safe minimum for poultry (FoodSafety.gov), about 15 to 20 minutes.

8

Wipe the skillet and fry the tortilla strips

For each pot of soup

Wipe out the skillet with paper towels once it is cool enough to handle. Heat about 1 cup canola oil in it over medium-high heat until a tortilla strip sizzles at once (about 350°F, 175°C). Fry the tortilla strips in handfuls until golden and the bubbling slows, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Lift them onto the paper-towel-lined plate with the slotted spoon and sprinkle them with 1/4 tsp fine salt while hot.

9

Lift out and shred the chicken

For each pot of soup

Lift the chicken onto the cutting board with the tongs, shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks and stir it back into the pot. Take out the epazote sprig. The chicken is shredded and back in the soup.

10

Taste and adjust

For each pot of soup

Taste the broth with a bit of chicken. Aim for toasted chile and sweet charred tomato, savory and gently spicy. If it tastes flat, add fine salt to taste, a little at a time. If it is thicker than you like, stir in low-sodium chicken broth to taste and bring it back to a simmer. The broth tastes savory, toasty and gently spicy.

11

Ladle and serve

For the whole recipe

Ladle the soup and chicken into wide bowls to make 4 servings, each over a small handful of tortilla strips. Top with 1 whole ripe avocado, about 4 oz queso fresco, about 1/2 cup Mexican crema, cilantro leaves to taste and the other strips. Set 1 whole lime, cut into wedges, on the table for squeezing. Refrigerate leftover soup within two hours, without the garnishes and strips, and reheat it to 165°F (74°C). The soup is portioned and garnished.

About this recipe

Research preview: these details come from our sourced research and haven't been reviewed by our chef yet.

Why it works

Toasting the dried chiles for seconds brings out their flavor, and charring the tomatoes, onion and garlic adds sweetness and light smokiness. Frying the blended base hard in a little oil turns it from raw and bright to deep and savory, and poaching the chicken at a bare simmer keeps it juicy while it flavors the broth.

Associated with

Mexican (sopa de tortilla); this chicken version is common in the US Southwest

Printed Mexican recipes for tortilla soup go back to at least the 1830s and 1840s, and a 1913 cookbook from Puebla fries tortilla with garlic, tomato and onion before adding broth, epazote and chile. Sources disagree on its home region within central Mexico, and it is often confused with sopa azteca.

Taste

  • Sweet
  • Sour
  • Salty
  • Bitter
  • Savory
  • Heat

Toasted guajillo and pasilla chiles and sweet charred tomato, savory and gently spicy., Cold garnishes and a squeeze of lime finish each bowl. · smooth brick-red broth, tender shredded chicken, crisp fried tortilla strips, creamy avocado and crema · hot

Skill level

Some practice

More steps than a weeknight soup, with two Mexican techniques to learn: toasting dried chiles and frying the blended base. Each step has a clear cue.

You'll practice: Toast dried chiles without burning them, Char tomatoes, onion and garlic in a dry skillet, Blend hot liquid safely, Fry the blended base until brick red, Poach chicken to 165 °F (74 °C), Shallow-fry tortilla strips

Allergens

Contains: milk.

Check the tortilla, broth and dried chile labels; formulations vary.

Diets

Vegetarian: Doesn't fit as written Pescatarian: Doesn't fit as written Vegan: Doesn't fit as written Dairy: See the allergen lines Egg: See the allergen lines Gluten: See the allergen lines

Occasions

  • Lenten abstinence days (Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent) · fits only with changes

    Chicken is meat, which abstinence days forbid, so leave out the chicken. The chicken broth itself is not forbidden by the abstinence rule (USCCB).

    Abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday (Easter minus 46 days), Good Friday (Easter minus 2 days) and every Friday of Lent.

    Next: February 10, 2027 (expected)

    Next: February 12, 2027 (expected)

    Next: February 19, 2027 (expected)

    Next: February 26, 2027 (expected)

    Next: March 5, 2027 (expected)

    Next: March 12, 2027 (expected)

    Next: March 19, 2027 (expected)

    Next: March 26, 2027 (expected)

  • Weeknight dinner · everyday comfort soup

    A comfort soup for dinner; we found no source tying it to a named Mexican holiday.

Course: main-dish · Technique: toast, char, soak, blend, simmer, poach, shallow-fry · Time: 1-to-2-hours

Serving and keeping

Best served: Right after the chicken is shredded back in and the final taste In wide bowls over tortilla strips, topped with avocado, queso fresco, crema and cilantro, with lime wedges on the table

Make ahead: Add the strips and garnishes when serving.

Storage: Refrigerate the soup within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C), in shallow containers and without the garnishes and strips. Freeze the soup on its own for about 2 to 3 months for best quality.

Leftovers: Keep the strips and garnishes apart from the soup, and add them when serving.

Food safety

  • Keep the raw chicken in the refrigerator until it goes into the pot. Do not wash it, and use a separate board and tools for raw chicken.
  • Blend the hot base with the jar no more than half full, the center cap removed and a folded towel over the opening.
  • The blended base sputters hard when it hits the hot oil; pour it in all at once and stand back.
  • The oil for the strips reaches about 350 °F (175 °C); fry in small handfuls and lift the strips out with a slotted spoon.
  • The CDC advises pregnant people, newborns, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems to avoid unheated queso fresco-type cheese, and we include young children. For all of them, heat the cheese in the soup to 165 °F (74 °C) or use a hard pasteurized cheese.
  • Refrigerate leftover soup within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C), without the garnishes, and reheat to 165 °F (74 °C).

We make no statement about cross-contact in your kitchen or in packaged ingredients. Check the tortilla, broth and cheese labels.

Nutrition notes

Most of the sodium comes from the salt, the queso fresco and the broth. Skipping the salt on the strips, using less queso fresco and finishing with lime keeps it lower.

The dried guajillo and pasilla chiles contribute vitamin A.

Fried tortilla strips absorb oil; baked strips are drier and less rich.

We don't show nutrition claims (like “good source of”) until our legal review is done.

Swap notes

  • boneless, skinless chicken thighs · vegetarian

    Works with changes

    Use: drained low-sodium black beans or white hominy

    What changes: Use low-sodium vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.; Simmer the fried base with the broth about 10 minutes, then add the beans or hominy for about 5 minutes; skip the chicken steps.; Check the queso fresco for an acid-set or microbial coagulant.; Earthier, and about 15 minutes shorter.

    Not a swap: Water alone in place of the broth, which makes a thin, weak soup.

  • boneless, skinless chicken thighs · catholic.abstinence

    Works with changes

    Use: drained black beans or white hominy

    What changes: The chicken broth itself is not forbidden by the abstinence rule (USCCB), and the queso fresco and crema are allowed.; Beans or chewy hominy instead of chicken; shorter.

    Not a swap: Leftover roast chicken, which is still meat.

  • queso fresco · kosher.mainstream

    Works with changes

    What changes: Leave out the queso fresco and the crema: kosher practice does not serve chicken with dairy.; Use kosher chicken and broth and certified tortillas.; Less creamy.

    Not a swap: Sour cream or another cheese on top, which is still dairy with chicken.

  • queso fresco · halal.general

    Works with changes

    Use: queso fresco made with microbial rennet, or acid-set with vinegar

    What changes: Also use halal-certified chicken and chicken broth.

    Not a swap: A queso fresco made with an unnamed animal rennet.

  • queso fresco · young children, older adults, pregnant people or a weakened immune system

    Works with changes

    Use: the queso fresco heated in the soup to 165 °F (74 °C), or a hard pasteurized cheese

    What changes: The CDC advises these groups to avoid unheated queso fresco-type cheese.

    Not a swap: Unheated queso fresco crumbled on top, for these groups.

  • corn tortillas (6-inch) · passover.ashkenazi

    Works with changes

    What changes: Leave out the tortilla strips and the frying oil; corn and canola are kitniyot.; Use kosher-for-Passover broth, and no dairy with the chicken.; The soup loses its toasted-corn crunch, its namesake.

    Not a swap: Flour tortillas, which puff and turn chewy instead of crisp.

  • corn tortillas (6-inch) · less frying

    Works with changes

    Use: strips tossed with a little oil and baked at 400 °F (200 °C), stirred halfway, until golden and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes

    What changes: Drier and less rich than fried strips.; Stale tortillas crisp even better.

    Not a swap: Flour tortillas, which puff and turn chewy instead of crisp.

  • white onion · buddhist.five_pungent

    Works with changes

    What changes: Leave out the onion and garlic and char only the tomatoes.; Use a broth made without onion or garlic.; Tomato-and-chile forward, with less depth.

    Not a swap: An ordinary chicken broth, which usually contains onion.

  • fine salt

    Works with changes

    Use: less salt: skip salting the strips, and adjust with lime first, then salt by the pinch

    What changes: Use less queso fresco on top.; Brighter and less salty.

    Not a swap: Feta in place of queso fresco, which is saltier.

  • dried guajillo chiles · no guajillo or pasilla chiles

    Works with changes

    Use: ancho or New Mexico red chiles, the same number

    What changes: Ancho is sweeter and darker; New Mexico is brighter and a little sharper. Toast, soak and blend them the same way.

    Not a swap: Small, hot dried chiles such as árbol in the same number, which bring heat without the body that thickens the broth.

  • ripe Roma tomatoes · tomatoes out of season

    Works with changes

    Use: any ripe tomato by the same weight, or canned whole or fire-roasted tomatoes

    What changes: Canned tomatoes skip the charring: drain them, char only the onion and garlic, and blend the tomatoes in as they are.

    Not a swap: Tomatillos, which turn the soup sour and green.

  • fresh epazote · no epazote

    Works with changes

    What changes: Leave it out, or add a few sprigs of cilantro to the pot; the broth is a little less herbal.

    Not a swap: Dried oregano by the spoonful, which pushes the broth toward chili.

These notes don't change the amounts, allergens or nutrition shown for this recipe.

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Recipe url
https://isthebestrecipe.com/soups/tortilla-soup
Name
Tortilla soup
Servings
4
Recipe yield
4 servings
Recipe ingredient
3 whole dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded, 1 whole dried pasilla chile stemmed and seeded, about 1 lb ripe Roma tomatoes about 5, left whole, about 4 oz white onion about half a medium onion, peeled, in one chunk, 3 cloves garlic unpeeled, about 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 tbsp canola oil, 3/4 tsp fine salt, about 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 5, about 1 cup canola oil for frying, 8 whole corn tortillas (6-inch) preferably a day old, cut into 1/4-inch strips, 1 whole ripe avocado diced, to serve, about 4 oz queso fresco crumbled, to serve, about 1/2 cup Mexican crema to serve, to taste cilantro leaves to serve, 1 whole lime cut into wedges, to serve
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Tortilla soup