Tortilla Soup or Sopa Azteca, Mexico’s Iconic Soup

Tortilla soup on the stove is happiness, says Michelle Ezratty Murphy, one of our favorite homecooks and top Familia Kitchen contributors. It also means the scorch of August is easing into the crisp of fall: Michelle and her family live in Arizona and summers there are just too hot to make or eat soup, she says.

But when the mercury starts dipping, it’s time to start making this recipe. ”In the colder months, I usually serve soup either for lunch or dinner at least 4 times a week, if not more,” says Michelle. ”It is so hearty and full of flavor, it’s usually our main meal. Because what’s great about this tortilla soup is you can add shredded roasted chicken to the toppings to add in some protein. The chicken sinks down into the soup and mixes in with the crispy tortilla chips. Oh my God, is it good.”

The History of Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup or sopa Azteca, as this dish is also known, is one of the most popular sopas in Mexico (if not the most popular), and reflects the country’s Indigenous and Spanish roots. Its main ingredients are tomato, chiles and corn (in the tortillas), all native to Central America and already in Aztec and Maya’s cooking vessels when the Spanish Conquistadores showed up in the 1500s. Over the centuries, the españoles’ contribution to the dish was the addition of European ingredients: chicken broth, onion and garlic.  

As to this soup’s roots, like most ancient dishes in the Mesoamerican tradition, there’s more hearsay than fact. Food historians believe the soup likely originated in Central Mexico, land of the Aztecs, but there is no hard evidence. What is verifiable is that tortilla soup is served universally in Mexico homes and restaurants today, in a range of recipes that shifts from region to region. Some areas top the soup with crema and cheese. The use of herbs varies by location, too: Some recipes call for adding epazote, others for cilantro, some for a combination of those and other spices.

Michelle has added a Tex-Mex flare to her version, using fried flour tortillas strips on the soup, instead of the expected corn. She sticks to using pasilla chile, also called chile negro, which is traditional, but Michelle played with the herbs. ”I like to add paprika, cumin and chili powder to give it an extra kick,” she says. She also uses cilantro and Mexican crema, which she mixes with fresh lime juice and salt for más sabor.

Most of all, Michelle wants you and everyone she knows to please make this soup, because it’s that good. “This is truly a great recipe that I know you’ll be making! There is everything to love about this Aztec soup. The warm tomato base, the crispy tortilla strips that soak up all the flavors, and all the addictively delicious toppings like Mexican crema, avocado and cilantro — all of which end up on the spoon in each slurp.”

Bottom line: ”Everyone in my family just loves this soup.”

So does the Familia Kitchen kitchen crew. In our Chicagoland cocina, fall is making itself felt this week, and this is the cool weather, soul-warming sopa we are craving. Gracias for sharing your family-famous recipe, Michelle. It’s easy enough to be an everyday favorite for family dinner, and elegant enough to serve guests. The best of all soup worlds.

To try more of Michelle‘s sabroso fare, check out her Familia Kitchen recipes, including her Mexican sopa de albondigas or meatball soup; as well as her carne asada salad with roasted, sweet corn. We also recommend her Tex-Mex faves: Sweet tamale cakes with salsa verde & pico, Arizona burrito with carne asada, and super nachos with beef and guac in every bite.

Ready to Make Michelle’s Tortilla Soup or Sopa Azteca?

Tortilla Soup or Sopa Azteca (Shredded Chicken Optional)

Recipe by Michelle Ezratty Murphy

3.6 from 410 votes

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pasilla chiles

• 1 onion, large, quartered

• 1 head garlic, skin on

• 1 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 to 2 tsp kosher salt, divided

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 2 to 3 corn or flour tortillas

• For the Crema (to Drizzle Over the Served Soup)

• 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema

• 1 lime, freshly juiced

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to your taste

• Garnishes

• 1 lime, quartered

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, whole leaves

• 1/2 cup crema with lime (recipe below)

• 1/2 cup queso blanco, crumbled

• 1 avocado, cubed

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Soak the dried, dark-red pasilla chiles in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, cut off the tops and slice the chiles in half. Remove the seeds.
• On a sheet pan, lay the boiled chiles, onion and Roma tomatoes in a single layer. Drizzle 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil over the vegetables and chiles. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Peel the whole garlic head and cut off a thin sliver off the top to expose the cloves. Place the head of garlic on to a piece of foil. Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Tightly wrap the garlic into the foil and place on the sheet pan with the vegetables.
• In the preheated oven, roast the vegetables, chiles and garlic for about 45 minutes, turning the vegetables and chiles 2 to 3 times so that all sides are evenly roasted.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Remove foil from the garlic.
• Once cooled, place the chiles, tomatoes and onion in a food processer. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves into the mixture. Finally, pour the pan juices into the processor, as well.
• Blend for about 3 minutes, until all the ingredients are pureed.
• In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, pour in the pureed ingredients from the food processor. Bring to a simmer.
• Add oregano, paprika, cumin and chili powder. Stir well.
• Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
• Make the Crema with Lime
• Place the sour cream or Mexican crema, lime juice and kosher salt in a bowl.
• Combine well.
• Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
• Make the Tortilla Strips
• While the soup is simmering, prep the tortilla chips by slicing day-old tortillas into thin strips. (Corn tortillas are traditional for this soup, but Michelle’s family prefers flour tortillas, so she calls for them in this recipe.)
• In a heavy pot, heat canola oil to 350° on medium heat.
• As a test, dip one tortilla strip into the oil to make sure oil is hot enough. If it starts sizzling, it’s ready. Fry the strips in quick, small batches until they turn golden and crispy. Transfer them in batches a baking sheet lined with a paper towel to cool, until all are done.
• Taste the soup to check seasonings. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the bay leaves.
• Garnish and Serve
• Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
• Garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of tortilla strips (they will sink into the soup), fresh cilantro leaves, a dollop or two of crema, diced avocado, and queso blanco.
• Top off with a few more tortilla strips, a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve as a starter course, or add shredded chicken, if you wish, to make it a hearty meal all on its own.

Notes

• This soup is a great way to put 1- or 2-day-old corn or flour tortillas to delicioso use. If you have fresh tortillas, you may want to bake them first to get them a bit dry and stiff.