Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla Soup)

Heat the oil in a pot and fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Lift onto paper. In the same oil, quickly fry the strips of one pasilla chili for a few seconds until they crackle, and set aside for garnish.

💡 Fry the chili for seconds only and lift it the instant it darkens — pasilla scorches fast and a burnt chili tastes acrid. That fried strip on top is a big part of this soup's smoky aroma.

Blend the tomatoes, half the onion, the garlic and the second pasilla chili (torn up) into a smooth purée.

Pour off all but a spoon of the frying oil, reheat, and fry the tomato purée hard for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and thickens.

💡 Frying the purée before adding the stock is the step that gives the broth its depth. Skip it and you get thin tomato water; do it and the soup tastes long-cooked in half the time.

Pour in the stock, add the epazote and salt, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt; the broth should be savoury and slightly smoky.

To serve, put a handful of crisp tortilla strips in each bowl and ladle the hot broth over them. Let everyone add avocado, cheese, a swirl of crema, the fried chili strips and a squeeze of lime.