Sopa De Tortilla Recipe

Poach chicken

Place chicken breasts, bay leaf, 0.5 tsp salt and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 12–15 minutes for breasts). Remove chicken and let rest 5 minutes.

Shred the chicken using two forks or your hands into bite-sized shreds. Set aside and reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid to thin the soup if needed.

Prepare tomato-chipotle base

Roughly chop the tomatoes and halve the onion. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften and start to collapse, about 6–8 minutes.

Transfer the cooked tomato-onion-garlic mixture to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo (taste and add more later if desired), 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Blend until smooth. If your blender is small, add 1/2 cup of the reserved poaching liquid or chicken broth to help blend.

Pour the blended tomato-chipotle mixture into a large pot. Add 6 cups chicken broth and 1.5 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, taste and add more chipotle or salt if needed. Simmer gently 10 minutes to meld flavors.

Cut and fry tortillas

Stack tortillas and cut into thin strips or triangles (about 1/4–1/2 inch wide). In a heavy skillet or shallow pot, heat 1 cup vegetable oil to 350°F (medium-high; test by dropping one strip—should sizzle). Fry tortilla strips in batches until golden and crisp, 1–2 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with a pinch of salt.

Reserve a handful of fried strips for topping each bowl and keep the rest in a warm, single layer to stay crisp until serving.

Heat and combine

Stir shredded chicken into the simmering chipotle-tomato broth and heat gently 2–3 minutes until warmed through. If broth is too thick, thin with reserved poaching liquid or more chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous handful of fried tortilla strips, slices of ripe avocado, a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco (or shredded Monterey Jack) and thinly sliced radish if using. Drizzle a teaspoon of Mexican crema or a small dollop of sour cream on top, and finish with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge on the side.

Serve immediately so tortillas remain crisp. Additional chipotle, salt or lime can be added to taste at the table.