Tortilla Soup
My friends request this recipe more often than any other. I am often asked if it’s a family recipe. I take it as a compliment that people always seem so surprised to hear that I found it in a magazine when I was about twelve years old. I’ve made it so many times since then and it has evolved into what it is today. I think it’s so delicious—and popular!—because of its clear but very flavorful broth. So often tortilla soup is heavy, but this one is hearty without being unpleasantly thick. In fact, I make such a large batch because everyone always wants seconds and thirds. On the rare occasions that I’ve had leftovers, I’ve discovered that the soup keeps very well, and even gets better, stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. The garnishes keep well stored in zip-top bags; keep the fried tortilla strips at room temperature and everything else in the refrigerator. When serving the second day, just place all the garnishes at the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over. I use two kinds of dried chiles—ancho and pasilla—because they add more depth and smoky notes to the broth. Use more or fewer chiles depending on how strong you want their flavor to be. For more on dried chiles, see page 96.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 14 to 16 servings
Ingredients
For Serving
Preparation
Step 1
In a large stockpot, place the chicken legs and thighs and the broth or cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout and tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Set aside the stockpot of broth. As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull off and shred the meat; discard the skin and bones.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place the pasilla and ancho chiles in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the chiles and remove their stems and veins. If you want a spicier bite, keep the seeds; if not, remove the seeds as well.
Step 3
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and the salt. Process until smooth, adding a 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth to loosen the mixture if it is too thick.
Step 4
Stir the chile puree and half of the cilantro into the broth. Bring to a simmer over low heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the reserved chicken and the remaining cilantro and remove the pot from the heat.
Step 5
While the broth is simmering, line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and shimmery. Add a handful or two of tortilla strips—they can be touching but not overlapping—and fry just until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Use tongs or a spider to transfer the strips to the paper towels, tossing and moving them around so they take on squiggly shapes as they cool and harden. Continue in batches until all the tortilla strips are fried, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
Step 6
When ready to serve, place the lettuce, avocado, and queso fresco in separate bowls to make serving easier.
Step 7
For each serving, place a few tortillas strips and a scoop of lettuce in a soup bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowl. Top with a spoonful of avocado, sprinkle some queso fresco on top, and serve.
