Friday, April 13, 2012

Sopa Azteca: Another Post About Soup

Here I am, back from Mexico City: exhausted, a little bit flu-ey, besieged by a hacking cough, nearly voiceless, and desperately behind in just about every aspect of my life. Typical post-vacation scenario.

Yes, it was amazing and beautiful and delicious and hectic and kind of overwhelming and wonderful. I have so many thoughts to gather and photos to look at and memories to replay that I am just not up to tackling my first recap post yet, though there will be many forthcoming, I assure you.

So instead, I bring you soup.

I know I should claim that the forthcoming recipe is the best, most mind-blowing, awe-inspiring, screen-licking, drool-worthy, world changing thing to ever be blogged about, ever. I should use plenty of exclamation points. But really, it's just soup. A very good one, if I do say so myself, but at the end of the day it's unlikely to change your life or play a role in world peace.

What it may do, however, is soothe a sore throat, or ease a cold, or just simply make you feel kind of good. This is what it did for me  at Cafe el Popular in the Centro Historico district late one evening, and so I tried to faithfully recreate it at home, where it had a similar effect on my mind and on my spirits.

I read a bunch of recipes online (including at one of my favorite sites, Simply Recipes) and then I just sort of winged it. My sense is that this isn't the sort of dish that calls for exact measurement, so I will tell you in a rather inexact way what I did, should you choose to have a go at it yourself:

Gently simmer 2 pounds of chicken thighs in just enough chicken stock to cover (about 4 cups) until tender. Remove the chicken and shred the meat once cool. Reserve the stock. In a cast iron skillet, heat one pasilla and one or 2 guajillo chiles for about 30 seconds per side. Remove the seeds and crush the chiles. In a stock pot, saute one chopped onion in oil until soft. Add 5 cloves of garlic and the chiles, stir. Add 24 ounces chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Puree with an immersion blender and add the reserved chicken stock. While this simmers shallow fry corn tortilla strips in hot oil until brown and crispy, set aside to drain.

Next, in a bowl, place diced queso fresco, avocado, tortilla strips, shredded chicken, and some dried pasillo chile:
(Or do you like the vertical photo better?)
Anyway, pour the hot broth over top and serve with lime, which you must squeeze generously over the whole lot.
You don't have to be so fastidious about the garnishes if it doesn't suit you. You could just toss everything (except the avocado) into the broth and plate it up. It's just soup, after all, and you should do what makes you happy. It may not be world changing, but I think you'll find that it is just a little bit life affirming.





22 comments:

  1. I'm trying to think of a soup that changed my life. I don't think I've had one yet so this one might have potential. All we really need to change our life sometimes is a simple kindness from a new friend. If this one can soothe a throat or provide warmth on a cold day I'd say that it can at least tease at the possibility of being a life changing soup.

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  2. It may be just a soup, but still, it does actually look pretty awesome. It may not change my life but it will make me very happy while I am slurping it up! ;)

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  3. Feel better. Travel induced illnesses are wrong on so many levels.

    Beautiful soup. Any soup poured over tortillas, cheese & avocado just has to be a thing of beauty.

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  4. This soup, and this post, made me happy on the inside. Glad you are back. Can't wait to hear about Mexico.

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  5. Glad you back safe and sound... When we went they were kidnapping american people... so we were happy to be away from Cabo and wherever Tulem was downtown... its really too bad you ended your journey sick... that always happens when your on the go... I really hope you had a grand time... this certainly is a perfect recipe to end the journey and feeling under the weather.. take care much hugs to you! xo

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  6. Hope you get over the bug quick! This soup is beautiful with so much flavor.

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  7. That's the most brilliant bowl of soup I've seen in a long time. The color is amazing! Hope you are better now.

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  8. It's so refreshing to find articles like the ones you post on your site. Very informative reading.

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  9. Well, by any name, Tortilla Soup does get me excited! I'm weird like that. It looks awesome and welcome home ;D

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  10. Never underestimate the power of soup. I recently felt comforted by a good chicken noodle soup, and I promised to make more soups and stews in the future!

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  11. Such a lovely soup, and very comforting indeed! So sorry that you are not feeling well, and hope you are better soon. But glad you had a great vacation, looking forward to seeing the photos and stories :)
    Hugs

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  12. " I should use plenty of exclamation points. But really, it's just soup. A very good one, if I do say so myself, but at the end of the day it's unlikely to change your life or play a role in world peace."

    I am SO glad you wrote that! It's refreshingly unpretentious. We joke here about blogs that speak of dishes being "revelatory" or even, "life changing". Yes, after all it's just soup.

    I am curious as to how Sopa Azteca differs from Sopa de Tortilla. Then there's the related Sopa Tarasca, but it **usually** has pureed beans in it,

    I dropped in here to have a look, after reading your husband's posts of your trip on Chowhound.

    Saludos,
    Don Cuevas

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  13. Oh, what great comfort food...it looks wonderful, Trix! Hope you're on the mend...

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  14. I hope you're feeling better! Welcome home, I can't wait to hear about your trip to Mexico. I love the flavors in your very nurturing soup. It's not easy to pick my favorite photo, they each have their strong points;-)

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  15. Looks like just the thing to lift the spirits. "Una sopa levantamuertos" as they would say in Mexico…

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  16. The vertical pic. Soup sounds perfect.
    Looking forward to seeing Mexico...
    LL

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  17. hey, this is my third time here, I hope this time my comment sticks -damn blogger - do so hope you are better by now, this soup sounds just the thing. for some reason, I love soup when in Mexico even in the hottest part of summer, lime soup with or without tomato base is always my favorite - I remember a restaurant there, in the Historical District I am sure, fairly large with grand murals and tiles on the walls and with a history going back centuries - had the best pastries and food of the city at that time (30+ years ago) - would love to go back there some time, cannot wait for your post(s)

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  18. My actors were all from Mexico City and they were tantalizing me with stories of the amazing food there... I've never been and can't wait to go or to here what you got up to there. The soup looks like it could re-animate anyone... beautiful and delicious... glad you had a great time.

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  19. I so want to be you right now. The traveling you. Not the exhausted, flu-ey you. ;)

    Heart you.

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  20. Soup is my cure for pretty much everything. Your sopa sounds and looks incredible. I'd love a huge bowl right now.

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  21. Beautiful sopa! I have a slight tickle in my throat too and think this would be the perfect cure for it especially with the chilies in it :)

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  22. Hi Trixie,

    Stopping by to say thanks for being a part of the YBR, so thanks :)

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