Sopa de Tortilla

Ingredients

• 6corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
• 5/8 cupvegetable oil, for frying
• 2pasilla chillies, stemmed and deseeded
• 14 ozchopped tomatoes, one tin
• 1white onion, roughly chopped
• 3 clovegarlic
• 1 1/4 quartschicken stock
• 1 tspepazote, dried; oregano is the usual stand-in
• 1avocado, diced, to serve
• 3 1/2 ozqueso fresco, crumbled, to serve
• 2limes, cut into wedges
• 1 tspsea salt

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a pan and fry the tortilla strips in batches for about 90 seconds, until golden and rigid. Drain on kitchen paper and salt them lightly.

2. 2

   In the same oil, fry the pasilla chillies for 15 seconds a side — they puff and darken almost instantly. Lift them out, tear one into pieces for the broth and keep the other for garnish.

3. 3

   Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic and one torn chilli until smooth. Fry the purée in 1 tablespoon of the oil over a high heat for 6 minutes until it darkens and thickens.

4. 4

   Pour in the stock, add the epazote and the remaining salt, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust.

5. 5

   Put a handful of tortilla strips in the base of each bowl and ladle the hot broth over. Top with avocado, queso fresco, the reserved chilli crumbled over, and a lime wedge.