Tortilla Soup
670kcal40.2g protein36.6g fat53.9g carbs~$3.80/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
sometimes contains gluten — check the label · only in an optional ingredient: dairy
Restrictions
Sometimes contains — check the labelgluten (tortillas)Some brands have it, some do not. The recipe cannot tell, so this is the one you check yourself.
Only if you add itdairy (cheese cotija, cream, sour)Leave that ingredient out and the dish does not have it.
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 3 unit |  guajillo chiles (stemmed, seeded) |
| 1 unit |  ancho chile (stemmed, seeded) |
| 2 unit |  tomato (halved, charred) |
| 1 unit |  onion (halved, charred) |
| 3 clove |  garlic (unpeeled, charred) |
| 3 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 l |  chicken stock |
| 1 lb |  chicken (thigh, boneless) |
| 1 sprig |  epazote (fresh sprig) |
| ½ tsp |  cumin (ground) |
| ½ tsp |  oregano (dried) |
| 1 ½ tsp | salt |
| 4 unit |  corn tortillas (cut in thin strips) |
| 1 unit |  lime (wedges) |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| 1 unit |  avocado (diced) |
| ⅓ cup |  cotija (crumbled) |
| 3 tbsp |  sour cream |
| ¼ cup |  cilantro (chopped) |
| 1 unit |  chipotle chile (in adobo, minced) |
Steps
- Toast2 mindry pan, mediumguajillo + ancho, pressed flat, 20–30 seconds a side until they puff and smell sweet — any wisp of acrid smoke means they have gone bitter and the whole pot will taste of it, so start over rather than continue
- Infuse15 minjust-boiled water, off heattoasted chiles submerged under a plate to keep them down, until fully pliable; keep a cup of the soaking liquid but taste it first — ancho water is often bitter and the stock can carry the flavor alone
- Char10 mindry comal or heavy pan, hightomato cut-side down + onion + unpeeled garlic, turning, until blackened in patches; the blistered tomato skin is where the roasted depth comes from, so leave it on when it goes to the blender
- Mix3 minhigh speed, then straindrained chiles + charred tomato + onion + peeled garlic + a splash of stock, blended until completely smooth, then pushed through a sieve — guajillo skin never fully breaks down and leaves the finished soup gritty
- Fry8 minmedium-high, spatteringoil until shimmering, then the strained purée poured in all at once and stirred as it hisses and darkens by a shade, until it thickens and pulls away from the pan bottom in a mass. This is the step the shortcut versions skip: raw blended chile tastes flat and metallic, and only frying converts it into something round and sweet
- Simmer20 minlow, partly covered+ chicken stock + cumin + oregano + epazote + salt + chicken thighs, at a lazy simmer until the chicken shreds easily; hold it below a boil so the thighs stay tender rather than seizing into strings. Pull the chicken, shred it, return it, and discard the epazote sprig = broth
- Fry6 min1 cm oil, 180°C / 350°F, one layertortilla strips in uncrowded batches until they stop bubbling loudly and turn pale gold, then drain on paper and salt while hot — the noise stopping is the water leaving, and strips pulled before that go soggy the moment they touch broth
- Top2 minat the tablehot broth ladled into bowls + tortilla strips + avocado + cotija + sour cream + cilantro + a lime wedge squeezed in. Strips go on at the last second, never into the pot — the contrast between crisp and soft is the dish, and it lasts about ninety seconds