Sopa Azteca
Ingredients
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- 2 pounds roma tomatoes – halved (~15.5 medium roma tomatos)
- 8 ounces white onion – quartered (~1.5 medium white onions)
- 3 cloves garlic cloves – unpeeled
- 1 cup neutral oil – for frying tortilla strips and chiles
- 10 pieces corn tortillas – cut into 0.5-inch-wide strips
- 2 pieces pasilla chiles (dried) – stems and seeds removed
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 sprigs epazote sprigs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt – plus more to taste
- avocado – sliced (for serving)
- Mexican crema – for serving
- queso fresco – crumbled (for serving)
- limes – cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and line a sheet pan with foil. Broil the roma tomatoes, white onion, and garlic cloves until blistered and charred in spots, 10–12 minutes, turning once; cool just enough to handle, then slip the skins off the garlic and transfer all the roasted vegetables to a blender.
2. Heat the neutral oil in a wide pot or deep skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 350°F if using a thermometer. Fry the corn tortillas in batches until crisp and lightly golden, 3–5 minutes per batch; drain on paper towels. Briefly fry the pasilla chiles in the same oil until puffed and fragrant, 10–15 seconds; drain, tear one chile into pieces and add it to the blender, then slice the other into thin rings and reserve for serving. Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the frying oil from the pot.
3. Blend the roasted vegetables with the torn fried chile until perfectly smooth, 45–60 seconds.
4. Return the pot to medium heat with the 2 tablespoons reserved oil. Pour in the puree and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly and darkened, 5–7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and epazote sprigs, bring to a simmer, and cook gently 15–20 minutes until the broth is brick-red and aromatic. Season with the kosher salt to taste.
5. To serve, put a handful of the fried tortilla strips into each warm bowl and ladle the hot soup over them. Top with avocado, a drizzle of Mexican crema, and queso fresco; add a few pasilla chile rings. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Sopa Azteca, also known as sopa de tortilla, is a deeply savory tomato‑chile broth poured over crisp strips of fried corn tortillas. The soup balances the gentle heat and raisiny depth of dried pasilla chiles with the sweetness of roasted tomatoes, enriched by chicken stock and scented with epazote. At the table, cool and creamy toppings like avocado, crema, and crumbled queso fresco add contrast, while a squeeze of lime brightens each spoonful.
The dish is rooted in central Mexico, especially the Mexico City region, where cooks have long transformed day‑old tortillas into a sustaining soup. Its popular “Azteca” name nods to the pre‑Hispanic heritage of corn and chiles, though the modern restaurant-style presentation likely coalesced in the 20th century. Over time it became a staple of fondas and home kitchens alike, celebrated for turning humble pantry ingredients into something richly comforting and unmistakably Mexican.