Sopa Tarasca
Sopa, Caldo, y Consuelo – The Food Mom Made When I Was Sick
] + [Infinitive phrase], and [Verb] + [Object] + [Prepositional phrase]. Beautiful.
Check tone: quiet-affectionate. "is all you need" -> comforting, assuring. "listen to the tortilla strips sizzle, and eat it on the couch" -> affectionate, low-volume, comforting.
Check against banned words: unapologetic? No. ruthlessly? No. aggressively? No. ultimate cure-all? No. sacred ritual? No. When I was sick...? No.
Check against Editor comments: "Substitute concrete things (named dishes, real techniques, real brands, single sensory images) for abstractions." I did: "listen to the tortilla strips sizzle" replaces "That's how you get the real taste of home". I did: "Char a dried ancho chile..." replaces "This is the soup that wraps you in a warm blanket on a bad day."
Final read-through: "Char a dried ancho chile, drop the roasted tomatoes into the glass blender pitcher, and let the motor run. Blending pinto beans directly into a roasted tomato and chile broth creates a velvety, earthy texture without a drop of heavy cream. To pull this off on a Tuesday night, we’re using high-quality canned beans—a 15-ounce can of pinto beans is all you need—but we preserve the essential techniques: blistering the
Before you start
Wipe the dried chiles clean.
Use a damp paper towel to wipe any dust off the exterior of the dried anchos and pasilla before stemming and seeding them.
Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes3 large
- white onion1/4 med
- cloves garlic2 large
- dried ancho chiles2
- dried pasilla chile1
- neutral cooking oil or lard3 tbsp
- canned pinto beans30 oz
- chicken broth4 cup
- stale corn tortillas2
- dried Mexican oregano1/2 tsp
- bay leaf1
- kosher saltto taste
- corn tortillas4
- crema Mexicana1/2 cup
- queso cotija or queso fresco1/2 cup
- avocado1 large
Method
- 01
Shallow-fry the tortilla strips for your garnish.
In a heavy pot, heat a half-inch of oil over medium-high heat. Fry the thinly sliced tortilla strips in batches until golden and crisp, then drain them on paper towels and salt immediately.
- 02
Fry the whole tortillas and pasilla chile.
In the same hot oil, fry the two whole tortillas until golden and reserve them for the blender. Slice the pasilla chile into thin rings and flash-fry them for barely 10 seconds so they don't turn bitter, then immediately remove them to a paper towel.
- 03
Blister the aromatics on a dry skillet.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Roast the tomatoes, onion quarter, and unpeeled garlic cloves directly on the hot metal, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and soft, about 10 minutes. Peel the garlic once it is cool enough to handle.
- 04
Blend the tomato and chile base.
Submerge the ancho chiles in hot water for 10 minutes to soften, then discard the water. In a blender, combine the softened anchos, roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, the two fried whole tortillas, and 1 cup of the chicken broth, blending on high until completely smooth.
- 05
Blend the beans into a smooth purée.
Pour the tomato-chile mixture into a bowl. Without washing the blender, pour in the canned beans along with their starchy liquid and blend until it forms a perfectly smooth, velvety purée.
- 06
Fry the puréed sauce in hot fat.
Heat two tablespoons of oil or lard in your soup pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, carefully pour in the tomato-chile purée. It should sizzle violently. Stir constantly for 5 to 7 minutes until the color deepens to a dark brick red and the raw tomato flavor cooks off.
- 07
Simmer and marry the flavors.
Stir the puréed beans into the fried tomato base, then gradually whisk in the remaining 3 cups of chicken broth. Add the oregano and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer, and let it cook partially covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt.
- 08
Garnish and serve piping hot.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and let everyone dress their own with the crispy tortilla strips, crumbled queso, diced avocado, a generous drizzle of crema, and the fried pasilla rings.
Notes
The secret to the soup's body is the bean liquid.
Do not drain or rinse your canned pinto beans. The starchy liquid inside the can mimics the natural broth of freshly boiled beans, which is absolutely essential for the soup’s signature silky viscosity.
Chicken bouillon adds that authentic, nostalgic flavor.
While homemade chicken stock is always excellent, many Mexican grandmothers swear by Knorr chicken bouillon. Swapping the 4 cups of broth for 4 cups of water mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons of bouillon will give you that exact, unmistakable taste of home.
From Cook Mexican in America.