Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (6-quart minimum)
• •Cast iron skillet or comal for charring
• •High-powered blender
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Heavy skillet for frying tortillas
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Place chicken thighs in a large pot with the stock, quartered onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. The moment you see lazy bubbles, reduce the heat. A rolling boil toughens chicken. Poach for 25 to 30 minutes until the meat releases easily from the bone and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.

   Bone-in thighs produce more flavorful, more forgiving meat than breasts. The dark meat stays moist even if slightly overcooked.
2. 2

   Shred and strain

   Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl, discarding the aromatics. You now have enriched stock. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces using two forks or your hands. Set aside.

3. 3

   Char the vegetables

   Heat a large cast iron skillet or comal over high heat until nearly smoking. Add tomatoes, onion halves (cut side down), and unpeeled garlic cloves. Let them sit undisturbed. You want blackened spots, actual char, not just browning. Turn occasionally until all sides show dark patches, about 10 to 12 minutes total. The tomatoes will collapse and blister. The onion will soften. The garlic skins will be papery and scorched. This is correct.

   Your smoke alarm may protest. Open a window. The char is essential. Without it, you have tomato soup.
4. 4

   Toast the dried chiles

   In the same hot skillet, press the ancho and guajillo chiles flat against the surface for 15 to 20 seconds per side. They should become fragrant, pliable, and slightly darker. Do not let them smoke or turn truly black. Burnt chiles taste bitter and acrid. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them rehydrate for 20 minutes until soft and pliant.

5. 5

   Build the base

   Squeeze garlic from its papery skins into a blender. Add charred tomatoes, charred onion, drained rehydrated chiles, chipotle with adobo sauce, cumin, and oregano. Add one cup of the enriched poaching stock. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 90 seconds. The mixture should be brick-red and slightly thick. Taste it. It should be deeply savory, moderately spicy, with a pleasant smokiness.

   Adjust heat now by adding more chipotles for smoke and warmth, or reducing them for a milder soup.
6. 6

   Fry the base

   Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. When shimmering, carefully pour in the blended chile mixture. Stand back. It will sputter and spit. Fry the paste, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes. You're cooking out the raw edge and concentrating flavors. The color will deepen. The aroma will intensify. This step transforms the soup from bright and thin to complex and full-bodied.

7. 7

   Simmer the soup

   Pour in the remaining enriched stock. Stir well, scraping any caramelized bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let the soup bubble gently for 20 minutes. The flavors need time to marry. Taste and adjust salt generously. Under-seasoned tortilla soup is a disappointment.

8. 8

   Add the finishers

   Stir in the shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. Simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. The lime brightens everything. Don't skip it.

9. 9

   Fry the tortilla strips

   Stack tortillas and slice into quarter-inch strips. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of half an inch in a heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high until a strip sizzles immediately when added, about 350°F. Fry strips in batches, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt while hot.

   For a lighter option, brush strips with oil, spread on a baking sheet, and bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.
10. 10

    Serve with ceremony

    Ladle hot soup into deep bowls. Top generously with crispy tortilla strips, pushing some down into the broth and leaving others perched on top. Add diced avocado, a generous scatter of cheese, a drizzle of crema, fresh cilantro leaves, and jalapeño slices if you like heat. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. The contrast of hot broth and cool garnishes is essential to the experience.

Chef Tips

• •To make stock from scratch: Roast chicken backs and wings at 425°F until deeply golden. Transfer to a stockpot with onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by two inches. Simmer for four hours. Strain and cool. This produces stock with body and depth that transforms any soup.
• •The soup base freezes beautifully without the garnishes. Prepare through step seven, cool completely, and freeze in portions. Reheat gently and add fresh chicken, or poach new chicken directly in the thawed base.
• •Mexican oregano has floral, citrusy notes distinct from Mediterranean varieties. Find it in the international aisle or Latin markets. It makes a noticeable difference.
• •Leftover rotisserie chicken works in a pinch. Skip the poaching step, use store-bought stock, and proceed with charring the vegetables. The soup will be slightly less rich but still deeply satisfying.
• •Day-old tortillas fry crispier than fresh ones. The drier texture means less oil absorption and better crunch.

Advance Preparation

• •The complete soup base, including shredded chicken, can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavors deepen overnight.
• •Soup without garnishes freezes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently.
• •Tortilla strips can be fried up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Re-crisp in a 350°F oven for 3 minutes if needed.
• •Prep all garnishes and store separately: diced avocado tossed with lime juice keeps 4 hours; cheese and crema keep refrigerated for a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 385g)