Shortcut Tortilla Soup
Serves 3 to 4 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Total: about 30 minutes
One of my favorite trips was to Cancun, partly because I spent the whole week eating like every meal was a reward for surviving the humidity. I remember ordering tortilla soup at one of those hotel restaurants where you think the food will be forgettable, and then the bowl shows up with avocado, crema, lime, and crispy tortilla strips on top. It was simple, but I kept thinking about it after I got home.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ yellow or white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 to 2 teaspoons canned chipotle in adobo, or ¼ cup red enchilada sauce
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 small handful tortilla chips, or 1 corn tortilla torn into pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Lime juice, to taste
To serve
- Store-bought tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- Avocado, sliced or diced
- Crema or sour cream
- Rotisserie chicken (optional)
- Cilantro (optional)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- 1
Cook the onion
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
- 2
Add the garlic
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- 3
Build the soup
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle or enchilada sauce, chicken stock, tortilla chips, cumin, oregano if using, and a pinch of salt.
- 4
Simmer
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onion is fully soft and the tortilla chips have broken down.
- 5
Blend
Blend until smooth. Add a little more stock or water if the soup is thicker than you want.
- 6
Finish the soup
Return the soup to the pot and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt and lime juice.
- 7
Assemble
Ladle into bowls. Add rotisserie chicken if using, then top with avocado, crema, tortilla strips, cilantro, and more lime.
- 8
Serve
Serve right away, before all the tortilla strips go soft.
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