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About this recipe

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Why you’ll love it

Creamy beans, smoky ancho chile and roasted tomato become a deeply savory red soup, then crispy tortillas, queso fresco and avocado turn every bowl into pure Mexican comfort food. 🫘🔥

Ingredients

• Bean base 🫘
• 🫘 500 g cooked pinto beans, drained (3 cups / 17.6 oz)
• 💧 250 ml bean cooking liquid or broth (1 cup / 8.5 fl oz)
• Roasted tomato-chile base 🌶️
• 🍅 600 g Roma tomatoes, halved (1.3 lb)
• 🧅 150 g white onion, cut into wedges (1 medium / 5.3 oz)
• 🧄 20 g garlic, unpeeled (4 cloves / 0.7 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 🌶️ 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
• 🫒 15 ml neutral oil (1 tbsp)
• 🌿 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 🌿 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 🧂 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ⚫ ¼ tsp black pepper
• Soup 🍲
• 💧 750 ml chicken or vegetable broth (3 cups / 25 fl oz)
• 🌿 1 small bay leaf
• 🌿 1 tbsp chopped epazote or cilantro
• 🍋 20 ml fresh lime juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• Crispy tortilla strips 🌽
• 🌮 6 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
• 🫒 15 ml neutral oil (1 tbsp)
• 🧂 Small pinch of salt
• To finish 🧀
• 🧀 100 g queso fresco, crumbled (3.5 oz)
• 🥑 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 🌿 Fresh cilantro
• 🧅 Finely diced white onion
• 🌶️ Thinly sliced serrano, optional
• 🍋 Lime wedges
• 🥛 Mexican crema, optional

Preparation

• 1 Toast the dried chiles 🌶️ Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho and guajillo chiles for about 10–15 seconds per side until fragrant. Do not let them burn.
• 2 Soften the chiles 💧 Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave for 10 minutes until softened, then drain.
• 3 Roast the vegetables 🍅 Heat a cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Roast the tomatoes, onion and unpeeled garlic until softened and deeply blistered in spots, about 8–10 minutes. Peel the garlic.
• 4 Blend the soup base 🫘 Add the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, softened chiles, pinto beans, bean liquid, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
• 5 Fry the blended base 🔥 Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Carefully pour in the blended mixture. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly and becomes more concentrated.
• 6 Add the broth 🍲 Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
• 7 Simmer the soup 🌿 Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the epazote or cilantro during the final 5 minutes.
• 8 Make the tortilla strips 🌽 While the soup simmers, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the tortilla strips and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning frequently, until golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towel and season lightly with salt.
• 9 Adjust the texture 🫘 Remove the bay leaf. If the soup is too thick, add 50–100 ml additional broth. If you want it thicker, simmer uncovered for another 3–4 minutes.
• 10 Finish with lime 🍋 Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the fresh lime juice and taste for salt.
• 11 Garnish and serve 🧀 Ladle the hot Sopa Tarasca into dark bowls. Top with crispy tortilla strips, crumbled queso fresco, diced avocado, cilantro and white onion. Add serrano and a small drizzle of crema if desired. Serve immediately with fresh lime.

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