Mexican Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)

Name: Mexican Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 8 corn tortillas, cut into thin 5 mm strips; 600 g ripe plum tomatoes; 1 medium white onion, quartered; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 dried pasilla chillies (or ancho chillies), stemmed and deseeded; 1 litre rich vegetable broth, labelled gluten free; 1 sprig fresh epazote (or 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano); 1 ripe avocado, diced; 120 g crumbled fresh cheese (queso fresco, mild feta, or panela); 60 ml Mexican sour cream (crema mexicana or crème fraîche); 1 fresh lime, cut into wedges; Vegetable oil for frying; Fine sea salt

Local name: Sopa de tortilla

Mexico's ultimate comfort soup: a rich, roasted tomato and mild pasilla chilli broth poured over crisp corn tortilla strips, avocado, and crumbled cheese.

Published on 8 July 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

Gluten-free#Mexico#soup#tortilla#avocado#chilli#tomato

Method

In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Toast the stemmed, dried pasilla chillies for 20 to 30 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed, being careful not to let them scorch black. Drain and set aside.
On a dry cast-iron skillet or comal, char the whole tomatoes, onion wedges, and garlic cloves over high heat until the skins blister and blacken in spots.
Place the charred vegetables and one of the toasted pasilla chillies in a blender along with 100 ml of vegetable broth. Blend on high speed until completely smooth and velvety.
In a soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Pour in the blended tomato purée (it should sizzle dramatically). Fry the purée for 5 minutes, stirring, until darkened and concentrated.
Pour in the remaining hot vegetable broth, add the fresh epazote (or oregano), and season with 1 teaspoon of fine salt. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry the tortilla ribbons in 1 cm of hot vegetable oil at 180°C for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Slice the second toasted pasilla chilli into thin crispy rings for garnish.
To assemble: place a generous handful of fried tortilla strips into the bottom of 4 wide bowls.
Ladle the simmering fragrant red broth over the tortillas. Top immediately with diced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, a drizzle of crema, and the pasilla rings. Serve with lime wedges.

Charring the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a dry skillet (tatemado) before blending is the cornerstone of authentic Mexican cooking, giving the fragrant broth its unmistakable smoky depth.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

Which dried chilli gives the broth its signature flavour?

Dried pasilla chillies (or ancho chillies) are the cornerstone of Sopa Azteca. Passed through hot oil for a few seconds, they lend rich raisin, prune, and cacao undertones with a gentle warming heat rather than fiery spice.

How to make the tortilla strips extra crispy?

Day-old corn tortillas that have slightly dried out fry up crisper than fresh moist ones. Slice into thin matchstick ribbons and fry in 1 cm of hot oil at 180°C (350°F) until golden and rigid.

When should the crispy toppings be added?

Always assemble right at the moment of serving in individual bowls. Ladling piping-hot broth over the tortilla strips softens them just enough while keeping their satisfying crunch beneath creamy avocado.

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Mexican Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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