Tortilla Soup

El Cielo Recipe: Mexican Tortilla Soup, also known as Sopa de Tortilla or Sopa Azteca, is a comforting Mexican classic made with a rich tomato and guajillo chilli broth, topped with crispy corn tortilla strips, creamy avocado, cheese, crema and fresh lime.

Serves 4 | Prep & cook: 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

From El Cielo

• 🌽 8–10 El Cielo Corn Tortillas, cut into strips
• 🌶️ 2 Guajillo Chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 🌶️ 1 Ancho Chilli, stems and seeds removed
• 🔥 1 tbs Chipotle Chilli (optional, for a smoky kick)

🥬 Fresh Ingredients

• 🍅 4 ripe tomatoes
• 🧅 ½ white onion
• 🧄 2 garlic cloves
• 🍲 1–1.2 L chicken or vegetable stock
• 🫒 1 tbsp cooking oil, plus extra for the tortillas
• 🧂 Salt, to taste

✨ To Serve

• 🥑 1 avocado, diced
• 🧀 Crumbled queso fresco or feta
• 🤍 Sour cream or Mexican crema
• 🌿 Fresh coriander
• 🍋 Lime wedges
• 🌽 Crispy tortilla strips

Method

1. Crisp the tortillas. Cut the corn tortillas into thin strips. Toss with a little oil and bake at 200°C for 8–12 minutes, or until golden and crispy. For a more traditional version, you can fry them.
2. Prepare the chillies. Lightly toast the guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry pan for a few seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn them. Cover with hot water and soak for about 10 minutes until softened.
3. Make the soup base. Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, softened chillies and about 1 cup of the stock until smooth.
4. Cook the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan. Add the blended mixture and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it deepens in colour and becomes fragrant.
5. Make it soupy. Add the remaining stock, season with salt and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. Add a little chipotle if you want an extra smoky, spicy flavour.
6. Serve. Add a generous handful of crispy tortilla strips to each bowl and pour over the hot soup. Top with avocado, crumbled cheese, crema, coriander and a squeeze of fresh lime.

El Cielo Tip 🌽
Keep some tortilla strips aside and add them right before eating, you want that delicious contrast between the warm, smoky broth and super-crispy corn tortillas.

Also in Recipes