Makes 6 servings
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium tomatoes, broiled
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove
6 cups Basic Chicken Broth (recipe follows)
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh epazote, chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried epazote (see note)
6 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 dried pasilla chiles, fried crisp for 10 to 15 seconds, seeded, and crumbled
Heat oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry tortilla strips until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan and set aside. In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, and garlic; puree to a smooth sauce. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and fry the pureed sauce until it has thickened and is reduced by about one-quarter. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Check seasonings, adding salt and pepper if needed. Reduce heat to simmer. Add half of the tortilla strips and the epazote. Cook an additional 5 minutes. To serve, divide the remaining tortilla strips among 6 bowls and put 1 tablespoon of the shredded cheese into each one. Ladle hot soup into the bowls and garnish with crumbled chiles.
Variation:
To make Sopa Azteca, add 2 cups shredded chicken, 1 cup Arroz Mexicano (recipe follows), and 1 cup avocado cubes. Garnish with sour cream.
Note: Epazote – In Mexican folk wisdom this pungent herb is prescribed for gastric distress and flatulence, which is probably whit it is added to beans while they are cooking. It is never eaten raw. It grows wild in Mexico and the southwestern United States and is easy to grow in herb gardens.