Sopa Azteca Recipe

Prepare ancho chiles

Remove stems and seeds from ancho chiles. Wipe lightly with a damp paper towel. Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let soak 15 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving soaking liquid.

Char tomatoes and onion

While chiles soak, char the onion and tomatoes to deepen flavor. Halve the onion and roughly chop. In the same dry skillet over medium-high heat, sear halved tomatoes (or the canned tomatoes drained) and the onion pieces until blackened spots appear, about 4–6 minutes. Alternatively broil 5–7 minutes until blistered.

Blend chile-tomato purée

In a blender combine softened ancho chiles (torn), charred tomatoes (with any juices), charred onion, garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid, cumin, oregano, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth, adding more soaking liquid by tablespoon if needed to reach a smooth purée (about 30–45 seconds). Strain the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.

Cook the soup base

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Pour the strained purée into the hot oil and cook, stirring, 3–4 minutes until it darkens slightly and loses raw smell. Add the 6 cups chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes to marry flavors. Taste and season with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, adjusting to preference. If using shredded chicken, add it during the last 5 minutes to warm through.

Cut and heat oil

While the soup simmers, stack tortillas and cut into 1/4-inch strips or triangles (four wedges per tortilla). Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch and heat over medium-high until shimmering (about 350°F/175°C if using a thermometer) or until a tortilla piece sizzles immediately.

Fry tortilla strips

Fry the tortilla pieces in batches so they don’t overcrowd the pan, about 1–2 minutes per batch, turning so they crisp evenly and become golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel–lined tray and immediately sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Let cool — they will continue to crisp. Reserve about 1.5 cups of chips for garnishing bowls (you may have extra).

Prepare garnishes

While soup and chips finish, crumble queso fresco, slice avocado and radishes, chop cilantro, slice onion thinly, and cut lime into wedges. If using crema, transfer to a small bowl for drizzling.

Assemble bowls

Ladle 1 to 1 1/2 cups of hot sopa azteca into each bowl. Add a generous handful (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) of crispy tortilla strips into each bowl so they soften slightly in the broth but keep some crunch. Top with 2–3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco, 2–3 avocado slices, a few radish slices, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, and a tablespoon of crema. Add shredded chicken if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over each bowl.

Storage & leftovers

Leftover soup (without chips) keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Store chips separately in an airtight container to keep crisp. Reheat soup gently on the stovetop; add chips only when serving.