Sopa Azteca Mexican Soup (Printable)

Smoky tomato-chile broth with crispy tortilla strips, panela cheese, and fresh avocado garnish.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 oz panela cheese, cubed or crumbled
16 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1/2 cup crema or sour cream, optional
18 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add 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 cook, toast dried pasilla and guajillo chiles in a separate dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Avoid burning.
04 - Transfer softened tomatoes, onions, garlic, and toasted chiles to a blender. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until smooth consistency.
05 - Return blended mixture to the pot. Add remaining 4 cups broth, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - While broth simmers, heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry corn tortilla strips in batches until golden and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
07 - Divide crispy tortilla strips among serving bowls. Ladle hot broth over the strips. Top with panela cheese, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of crema if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between the crunchy homemade tortilla strips and the velvety soup creates an addictive texture that store-bought tortilla soups never quite achieve.
  • You can customize every bowl with your preferred amount of creamy avocado, tangy lime, and cheese, making each serving a personal masterpiece.
02 -
  • Never skip toasting the dried chiles – I once rushed this step and ended up with a flat, one-dimensional soup that lacked the signature smoky depth.
  • Adding the tortilla strips to each bowl rather than directly to the pot keeps them from becoming soggy too quickly, a lesson I learned after accidentally ruining a whole batch by combining everything too soon.
03 -
  • Store leftover components separately – broth in one container and garnishes in another – then reheat only the broth before combining, preserving the textural contrast that makes this soup special.
  • To avoid the frustration of frying tortilla strips in small batches, arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets, lightly spray with oil, and bake at 375°F until crisp – less authentic perhaps, but remarkably convenient when feeding a crowd.
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