This authentic tortilla soup recipe is made with roasted tomatoes and garlic along with pasilla peppers and cooked in chicken broth. This Mexican soup recipe is a great option for a comforting dinner meal during the week. Don't forget the fried corn tortilla strips to add as a garnish!

a bowl of tortilla soup topped with tortilla strips and cilantro

The other night while we were eating Chilaquiles for dinner, my family and I were talking about how so many of the tastiest dishes have been created out of necessity, or by using leftovers.

In This Post

Authentic Tortilla Soup Recipe
How To Make Mexican Tortilla Soup
More Soup Recipes To Enjoy
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

You know, those moments when you stare at your fridge or pantry, wondering what you’re going to make for dinner, and you arrive at the conclusion: “I have nothing to cook!”.

Later on, after gathering things that you never imagined would work together, you end up creating one of your best meals.

tortilla soup recipe with cubed cheese and fried pasilla peppers

Has this ever happened to you? I think this happened to the cook with this tortilla soup recipe!

Tortilla soup is one of the most famous soups from Central Mexico. There are several variations- Some include shredded chicken, roasted poblano peppers, and even pork skins (Chicharrones).

You can find this soup served in upscale restaurants or in small eateries known as “cocinas economicas” in Mexico City, and cities all over the country.

Authentic Tortilla Soup Recipe

This is one of my favorite soup recipes that I enjoy year-round. It's very simple and I like to add all of my leftover veggies that I usually have looming around the fridge.

Here is a list of ingredients you will need:

Chicken broth
Tomatoes
Onion
Garlic cloves
Vegetable oil
Epazote branch
Corn tortillas (cut into thin strips)
Pasilla peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Mexican Tortilla Soup

To make things easier for you, I am going to breakdown the directions to this recipe into sections.

Roast All Of The Vegetables

Heat a griddle and roast the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onion. Roast these veggies until tomatoes are blistered and slightly softened. Please note that garlic cloves will roast faster so remove them after a few minutes.

Blend All Of The Veggies Together

Once the vegetables are roasted, peel the tomatoes place them into a blender with the onion and garlic.
Puree it all until you have a smooth sauce. Add some chicken broth if needed.

roasted tomatoes and garlic cloves blended in a blender.

Start Cooking The Tortilla Soup

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Add the tomato sauce mixture you just made and cook for about 3 minutes. It should start boiling.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. The color of the sauce will reduce and change color.
While the sauce is cooking, start cutting the tortillas into thin strips in case you haven’t already done that.
After the 5 minutes of simmering the sauce, add the chicken broth and turn the heat up. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer for about 10-12 more minutes.
Add the Epazote branch and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 more minutes.

Fry Up The Corn Tortilla Strips

Now, in a large skillet, heat the oil and start frying the tortillas until they are crispy and have a golden color. You will need to work in batches in this step.
Place the fried tortillas on a plate covered with paper napkins to drain any excess oil.

adding chicken broth to tomato mixture and frying corn tortillas

Fry The Pasilla Pepper Strips

In the remaining oil, fry the pasilla pepper strips. Keep an eye on them as these will get crisp very quickly.
Once they get crispy, remove, and set aside.

frying pasilla peppers in a pan and prepping avocados and cheese for ganish

Serve And Enjoy!

Ladle the soup into bowls add the tortilla strips and then the rest of the garnishes. You can also place the garnishes on the table and let everyone serve themselves.

Cooking Tips and Suggestions

Make sure you rotate the vegetables often for an even roasting. If not, they might overcook or burn on one side.
Try to use day-old corn tortillas when making tortilla strips. They tend to be crispier!

What To Serve With This Tortilla Soup Recipe

When I make tortilla soup, I sometimes like to serve it with a side of Mexican white rice and a sliced up avocado. You can also serve it with a serving of crispy homemade tortilla chips.

As for toppings, I often garnish this Mexican soup with a few small cubes of queso fresco, a dollop of Mexican crema, and some sliced up lime wedges for a pop of citrus flavor.

More Soup Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for tortilla soup, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

I hope you make this Mexican tortilla soup, and if this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!
Mely

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📖 Recipe

Comments

4.92 from 12 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Authentic Tortilla Soup Recipe (Sopa de Tortilla )

Authentic Tortilla Soup Recipe