Sopa Azteca or Aztec soup
On a recent trip to Puebla, Mexico we discovered a fabulous restaurant near our hotel called Casareyna. Here we feasted on local Poblano specialties. Among them were several delicious soups. I ordered a Sopa Poblana with a vegetable base. Kate, my traveling companion and “personal guide,” ordered a Sopa Azteca. Hers was divine, mine just ordinary. However, I quietly set a goal of recreating her soup once back home.
As it turns out, Sopa Azteca is a very popular soup with many recipes, some more authentic than others. What I came up with here is a variation of Rick Bayless’s rendition which I liberally modified with my own tweaks and taste preferences.
What I like about this dish is that it can serve as a first course or a main course, depending on how much chicken you use. Your choice of condiments, too, make a difference as you can add all sorts of things such as avocado; fried tortilla strips; sour cream, crème fraiche or crema, (if you want to be authentic); cilantro, and cheese. I opted for queso fresca instead of the hard, melting cheeses which Rick recommended. Why? Because this is how it was presented at Casareyna. Some recipes unearthed during my research suggested also adding corn and black beans but that would be making the dish too American for my liking. However, feel free to do so if you’d like. Make it a fiesta of food!
This dish can be found all over Mexico. However, the choice of chile used to spice it up varies. I selected pasilla (also known as negro) as I found it in an organic market in Oaxaca. If you prefer a smokier taste, as they do in other regions of Mexico, you can opt for chipotle. But be forewarned. This will make a spicier, hotter soup.
You can also use a powdered chile if a dried chile pod is not available. If you do, just add 1 Tablespoon to the pan halfway through cooking the onion and garlic.
Finally, most recipes call for a fresh Mexican herb called epazote but good luck in finding it! Instead, you can substitute with a handful of fresh cilantro leaves if you like the taste of cilantro.
Ingredients:
10 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/3 cup vegetable oil for frying
1 large dried pasilla (negro) chile, toasted, then stemmed and seeded
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), in juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large red or Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 quarts chicken broth
1 large epazote sprig, (optional) or a Tablespoon of fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
2 cups shredded, cooked rôtisserie chicken
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 to 1 ½ cup queso fresca (you can also use Monterey Jack or mild cheddar)
2 large limes, cut into 6 wedges each
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking instructions:
For the tortilla strips
1. Heat oil in a large skillet and carefully drop in a handful of tortilla strips at a time. (You will need to do this in several batches as you will not want to crowd your strips.) Turn pieces once to make sure both sides are golden brown, then lift onto a paper towel to drain. Frying will only take a few minutes so be careful not to burn the tortilla strips. Sprinkle with salt gently.
For the soup:
2. Quickly toast the chile 2 inches above an open flame for several seconds. Be careful not to get too close, or else the chile will burn and have a bitter taste. Alternatively, you can dry pan fry the chile over a medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds then flipping it over to fry on the other side. Remove stem and seeds wearing rubber gloves!!! Break the chile in small pieces and put into a blender or Cuisinart along with the canned tomatoes and their juice.
3. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high; then add onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in garlic and continue to sauté for a minute. At this point, if you have not used a dried chile, you can add 1 Tablespoon of a chile powder such as pasilla or ancho. Add epazote (optional), oregano and cumin. Stir frequently to avoid burning. When cooked, transfer to the blender (along with the chile and tomato mixture); then process until smooth.
4. Return the combined purée to the skillet and stir constantly over a medium-high heat until the sauce thickens, approximately 5-6 minutes. Carefully add the broth and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed, to the broth mixture.
5. Add chicken and heat for 5 minutes. Divide the condiments into individual serving bowls. Serve the soup and allow your guests to add whatever they like to the sopa. While some recipes call for adding the tortilla chips to the bowl before pouring in the soup, I prefer to do this afterwards to keep the strips nice and crispy.
Serves: 4-6
Recommended wines: If you cannot find a good quality Mexican beer, there are many excellent Mexican wines from which to select. We enjoyed a bottle of Calixa, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from Monte Xanic which produces delicious wines in Baja California. Ask your local retailer for his/her recommendation for a fruity red from Mexico. And, if there is leftover margarita in your glass, that works well too!
Buen provecho!