Equipment
Ingredients
Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 150 g corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- 60 ml vegetable oil, room temperature
- 2 g kosher salt, ground
Soup Base
- 15 ml olive oil
- yellow onion, diced
- garlic, minced
- jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1000 ml chicken broth, low sodium
- 3 g ground cumin
- 2 g dried mexican oregano
Protein
- 400 g chicken breast, boneless and skinless
Garnishes
- avocado, diced
- lime, cut into wedges
- 10 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 608 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1832 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 67 mg
- Potassium
- 971 mg
- Calcium
- 95 mg
- Iron
- 3.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 76 mg
- Phosphorus
- 481 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 103 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 38 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.26 mg
- Niacin
- 15.9 mg
- Folate
- 38 mcg
- Water
- 379 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the corn tortilla strips in batches. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried tortilla strips to a paper towel-lined cutting board or plate. Immediately season with kosher salt while still hot, and set aside.
In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped jalapeno. Cook until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer the sauteed vegetable mixture to a blender. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Blend on high speed until the mixture forms a smooth puree.
Pour the blended tomato puree back into the Dutch oven. Stir in the chicken broth, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
Submerge the raw chicken breasts directly into the simmering broth. Poach gently until the chicken is completely cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 74C/165F, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on thickness.
Carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts from the broth and transfer to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the simmering broth for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl generously with the freshly diced avocado, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a handful of the crispy tortilla strips.
Chef's Notes
- Frying your own tortilla strips using day-old corn tortillas provides superior texture and authentic toasted corn flavor compared to using store-bought tortilla chips, which often disintegrate too quickly in hot liquid.
- Poaching the chicken directly in the soup broth accomplishes two things: it ensures the lean meat stays incredibly moist, and it simultaneously fortifies the soup base with rich, natural chicken flavor.
- For a deeper, smokier flavor profile, consider toasting a dried pasilla or ancho chili in a dry skillet, rehydrating it in hot water, and blending it into the tomato base in step 4.
- Never add the avocado or crispy strips to the main cooking pot. Always garnish individual bowls immediately before eating to maintain the striking contrast of hot and cold temperatures, and crispy and liquid textures.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the soup and chicken together. Store crispy tortilla strips in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep avocado and lime separate.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the broth and chicken only. Do not freeze garnishes or tortilla strips.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering. Assemble with fresh garnishes in individual bowls.
Troubleshooting
Tortilla strips are greasy and chewy rather than crispy.
Cause: The frying oil temperature was too low, causing the tortillas to absorb oil instead of frying.
Fix: Bake the chewy strips on a wire rack in a 200C/400F oven for 3-5 minutes to draw out oil and crisp them up.
Prevention: Test the oil by dropping a single strip in; it should sizzle vigorously immediately. Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature.
Chicken breast is tough and dry.
Cause: The broth was boiling too rapidly during the poaching step.
Fix: Shred the chicken very finely and let it sit in the warm broth longer so it can mechanically absorb some liquid.
Prevention: Maintain a gentle simmer, where only a few small bubbles break the surface occasionally.
Cultural Context
Sopa de Tortilla, originating from the central region of Mexico, particularly around Mexico City and Tlaxcala (which beautifully translates to 'place of corn tortillas'), is a masterclass in culinary resourcefulness. It was traditionally designed as a delicious way to utilize day-old, stale tortillas. This deeply comforting dish embodies the Mexican culinary philosophy of layering flavors and contrasting textures, transforming humble staple ingredients into a complex, satisfying meal.
