Sopa de Tortilla

Ingredients

• 4tomatoesroasted in the oven or under the broiler
• 1onionroughly chopped or sliced, sautéed
• 3 clovesgarlicpeeled, whole or minced
• 1chipotles in adoboblended with the tomatoes; alternatively dried pasilla chiles or jalapeño
• 6⅓ cupsstockuse vegetable stock for the vegetarian version
• 12⅓ ozchicken breastboneless and skinless, poached in the soup and shredded
• 5corn tortillascut into thin strips and fried
• 3 tbspoilfor sautéing and cooking down the purée
• ¼ cupvegetable oilfor frying the tortilla strips
• 1 tspsaltadjust depending on the stock
• black pepperfreshly cracked
• 1avocadodiced or sliced, for topping
• cilantrochopped, for topping
• 1limejuice for seasoning, wedges for serving
• 1 tspOreganoadded with the stock (optional)
• Queso frescocrumbled, for topping (optional)
• cremafor topping (optional)

Method

1. Roast the tomatoesRoast the Roma tomatoes in the oven at about 390 °F (400 °F) or under the broiler until the skins blister and char in spots.
2. Sauté onion and garlicMeanwhile, heat a little oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and lightly browned.
3. Blend the soup baseTip the onion mixture into a blender along with the roasted tomatoes and the chipotle in adobo, and blend everything until smooth.
4. Cook down the puréeHeat the remaining oil in a pot, add the purée and let it cook down for a few minutes, stirring, until it thickens a little and smells deeply fragrant.
5. Add broth and boilPour in the chicken broth, add the salt and some freshly cracked black pepper, plus the Mexican oregano if you're using it, and bring everything to a boil.
6. Poach and shred the chickenLay the chicken breast in the soup, turn the heat down and let it gently poach for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Lift it out, shred it with two forks, return it to the pot and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
7. Fry the tortilla stripsWhile the chicken cooks, cut the corn tortillas into thin strips. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the strips in batches for 30 to 90 seconds until golden, then drain them on paper towels.
8. Season the soupTake the soup off the heat and season to taste with salt and lime juice.
9. Ladle and garnishLadle the soup into bowls and top with the tortilla strips, avocado, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Tips and variations

For a vegetarian version, simply leave out the chicken, use vegetable stock and let the Mexican oregano simmer along with it. Instead of chipotle in adobo you can use dried pasilla chiles: stem and seed them, then toast them briefly in a dry pan or over an open flame without letting them burn, and blend them with the tomatoes. If you'd like something heartier, stir in black beans and corn at the end. When it comes to toppings, let everyone help themselves: set out little bowls of crumbled queso fresco, crema, finely shredded cabbage marinated in lime juice and salt, and sliced serrano or jalapeño. Add the tortilla strips just before eating so they stay nice and crunchy.