Adding crushed crispy tortillas to thicken your broth creates a better smelling and richer tasting tortilla soup.

Tortilla soup is one of my favorite dishes because it illustrates a simple and unexpected way to thicken your broth. Nobody in Mexico seems to be able to pinpoint where the soup originated and how long ago — but everyone (my grandmother included) will tell you that their family’s is the best.

In Mexico, the tortilla soup is generally simpler. It is an herb-scented chicken broth filled with shredded chicken, garnished with crispy tortillas. In Southern California, the broth is more often blended with roasted tomatoes and other vegetables.

The garnish is what gives the tortilla soup its name. Make sure you either fry the tortillas or lightly brush them with oil and bake them for crispness. To save time, you can use unsalted tortilla chips, but baking fresh corn tortilla strips will taste better.

A California-style tortilla soup will blend onions, tomatoes, and chiles until smooth and then roast them before adding them to the broth. This brings a smoky quality to the soup. I’ve pan-roasted the vegetables over low heat for a long time before turning it into puree (for my poor old blender’s sake) with great results.

Roasting your vegetable puree adds a subtle smoky flavor and will deeply color your broth. Fresh queso fresco complements the smoke with creaminess.

To thicken your broth, I’ve used a technique that I’ve seen in other soup recipes. Just like some Italian soups add breadcrumbs to enhance their flavor and density, a tortilla soup can have crumbled crispy tortillas added into the broth. This will result in a richer flavor and a smell laden with whiffs of roasted corn.

If you’re really ambitious or if you’re far from a Mexican grocer, you can top with a homemade queso fresco (ask me how). Otherwise monterey jack will work well. Mexican crema or sour cream or even plain unsweetened yogurt can make your broth less spicy and provide a smoother mouth feel. Avocado or salsa are tasty classic toppers. No matter how you do it, customize your tortilla soup how you like it and your meal should taste great!

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Tortilla Soup

Mexican-style is more a clear soup, while Californian-style has a thicker darker broth.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 pounds of chicken thighs, with bones and no skin.

7 cups water, separated

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves

Cilantro, oregano, and epazote or bay leaves to taste

1 can of crushed tomatoes, juice reserved

2 dried ancho chiles, soaking liquid reserved

1 minced jalapeno (remove seeds and ribs if you don’t want it as spicy)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Optional vegetable add-ins, like roasted corn, beans, diced carrots, or whatever you’d prefer.

Garnishes like lime, diced avocado, queso fresco, Monterey Jack, cilantro, jalapenos, mexican cream, yogurt, or sour cream.

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Combine your 6 cups water and your chicken in a large dutch oven. Add two quarters of your onion and two crushed garlic cloves. Spice your broth with a few springs epazote (if you can find it) or 2 bay leaves (if you can’t).  Add cilantro, oregano, and cumin to taste.  Bring broth to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
To save time, you can use shredded precooked chicken and 6 cups of chicken broth. It may taste quite salty and not as rich, but it will cut about 30 minutes from your cooking time.

2.) While broth is cooking, make your tortillas. Brush your tortillas with 1 tablespoon of oil and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 425 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Shake halfway through baking time.  Alternatively, fry them in vegetable oil in a hot skillet until golden brown.
To save time, you can use unsalted tortilla chips, and adjust the salt in your soup before serving.

3.) Boil one cup of water. Pour over your dried ancho chiles and cover. After about 10 minutes, drain and reserve liquid.
Alternatively you can just use canned chipotle chiles en adobo.

4.) Open canned tomatoes. Strain and reserve liquid. Add to ancho soaking liquid. Cook the liquid over low heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Allow mixture to reduce and thicken.

5.) After simmering for 20 minutes, or when the chicken is cooked through, strain the solids from your chicken broth. Reserve the liquid.  When the chicken cools, shred it off the bones with a fork.

5.) In a food processor, puree your tomatoes; 1/2 your onion, minced; ancho chiles, minced , or adobo chiles with 1 tablespoon of juice; 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1 jalapeno pepper.

6.) In a dutch oven, place 1 tablespoon of oil. Add your vegetable puree. Roast for approximately 8 minutes. You’ll see the color change from a bright red to a deep maroon.

7.) Add your chicken broth to the dutch oven.  Add your chicken.  Finely crumble your tortilla wedges into the soup. Add any additional vegetables you wish.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

8.) After 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. Add 1 tablespoon of reduced chile-tomato liquid or 1 tablespoon of adobo. You can add more to taste.

9.) Serve immediately, topping with tortilla strips and the garnishes of your choice. The soup keeps well and tastes even better on the second day.