Tortilla Soup

How to make it

1. Char the tomatoes, halved onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a dry, hot skillet. Turn them regularly for 10 minutes, until the skins are blistered and blackened in spots and the aroma is sweet and smoky. ⏱ 10 min
   Chef's tip Leave the vegetables undisturbed for a minute at a time rather than shuffling them constantly — blackened blisters need contact. Aim for spotty char, not evenly blackened skins; fully burnt tomato skin turns the purée acrid.
2. Peel the garlic cloves and blend them with the charred tomatoes and onion into a completely smooth purée. Press the purée through a sieve into a bowl, leaving the seeds and skins behind — it's this straining that gives the soup its velvety base.
   Chef's tip The sieve holds back the seeds and skins — they leave a gritty, faintly bitter mouthfeel that no amount of cooking down will fix. Scrape the underside of the sieve with a spoon so the thick stuff makes it into the bowl too.
3. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and pour in the strained purée all at once; watch for splatters. Cook it down, stirring regularly, for 8-10 minutes, until the color is deep brick-red and the oil gathers in small glistening beads along the edge. ⏱ 8 min–10 min
   Chef's tip The oil beading along the edge is the signal that the purée has lost enough water to fry rather than stew — that's when the flavour concentrates. Keep the spoon moving across the bottom; the thickening purée scorches easily.
4. Pour in the chicken broth, add the epazote sprigs to the soup, and season with salt. Let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the flavor is rounded and the tomato's acidity has mellowed. Fish out the sprigs at the end. ⏱ 20 min · passive
5. Cut the corn tortillas into strips about 1 cm wide. Spread them out in a single layer on a cutting board so their surface dries slightly and they become crispier in the oil.
6. Heat the 3 dl oil in a small, deep pot to 170°C. Dip a tortilla strip in as a test — it should sizzle vigorously right away.
   Chef's tip 170°C is the working window: below it the strips drink oil and go leathery, above and they darken before the inside dries out. Add strips in small batches so the temperature doesn't crash — listen for the sizzle to stay lively.
7. Fry the chile pasilla strips for seconds, not minutes — until they are glossy and smell of dried fruit. Lift them out immediately onto paper towels, as they turn bitter if left even a moment too long.
8. Fry the tortilla strips in the same oil in three to four batches, 8 minutes total, until they are golden and crisp and stop bubbling. Lift each batch out onto paper towels and sprinkle a pinch of salt over immediately, while the oil still helps it stick.
9. Set out bowls of tortilla strips, fried chile pasilla, queso fresco, avocado, and crema mexicana on the table along with the lime wedges. Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls, and let everyone add their own strips and garnishes to their bowl right before the first spoonful — the strips soften within a few minutes. Squeeze the lime over at the very end.
   Chef's tip Lime and crema go in at the table, not in the pot: the acid lifts the fried, smoky depth right before eating, and the crema stays as streaks rather than dulling the whole soup. Strips added to the pot are soggy within minutes.