Spicy tortilla soup! I know, I know, but I really enjoy spicy foods! If it’s not on the spicy side, the dishes are not as interesting. That’s just my taste though. You could certainly leave out the chile morita below and the recipe will still be delicious. Keep reading! It just gets better!
The Beauty Of This Recipe Is…
The beauty of this recipe is that you can finish it in so many ways. That soup base is delicious and I have incorporated it in some of my other soup recipes. The difference is that I will switch out the dried chiles or not add any. You can any any protein of your choice or make it vegetarian. Watching carbs? Use a low carb option tortilla or just add a light garnish.
This Recipe Is A Keeper!
I use that term for recipes that I come back to time and time again. This is one of them. Make sure to check out my original tortilla soup recipe and a tasty poblano chile version too!
You Say Tomato, I Say Tomate!
Spicy Tortilla Soup
My favorite tortilla soup recipe kicked up with added dried chile morita! Smoky, spicy and delicious!
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Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes
- 2 chile serrano stems removed
- 1/2 onion sliced into thick rings
- 4 cloves of garlic leave skins on
- 4 dried chile pasilla or chile negro
- 2 dried chile morita
- 6-7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- small handful epazote leaves
- 2-4 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 3 1/2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
For Shrimp
- 18 extra large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, granulated garlic and smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chile de arbol powder
For Garnish
- 10-12 oz fried tortilla strips previously fried
- 10 oz panela cheese cubed
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema
- 1 Avocado sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped fine
- 2 Limes sliced into wedges
Instructions
- On a griddle(comal) at medium heat, dry roast the tomatoes, serranos, onion and garlic. Begin to flip and turn ingredients when they become aromatic and start to char slightly. Remove the garlic after 15 minutes. Leave the other ingredients on for another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chile pasilla. Slice 2 of them into thin rings and set aside. Take the other 2, along with the chile morita and drop them into a pot of simmering water. Let them simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let them sit for another 10 minutes.
- Add the sliced dried chile pasilla to a skillet and heat to medium. When it becomes aromatic and begins to toast, stir the chiles often. Toast for 1 minute and remove from heat. You can leave as is or you can crush it more using a molcajete or mini chopper.
- To the blender, add the dry roasted tomatoes, 2 serrano peppers, onion and peeled garlic. Drain the softened dried chile pasilla and morita. Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth to the blender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pot preheat 2 tbsps of oil at medium heat for a few minutes.
- After a few minutes, pour in the salsa soup base from the blender into pot with hot oil. Fry and cook the salsa/sauce for 10 minutes. Taste for salt as it reduces.
- After 10 minutes, pour in the remaining 4 cups of broth. If you like to thin out the soup a little more, you could add more broth at this time. Add the fresh epazote, bay leaves and crushed oregano. Stir to combine and bring up to a boil. Once it comes up to a boil, reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
- While you wait, mix the spices in a small bowl listed for the shrimp. Season the shrimp all over. Preheat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a skillet at medium heat for 5 minutes. Cook the shrimp for 4-6 minutes, turning as needed. Cover and remove from heat.
- To serve, add some fried tortilla strips to the bottom of each bowl. Ladle in the hot soup. Garnish with more tortilla strips, panela cheese, avocado, toasted chile pasilla, crema, lime and SHRIMP! Of course.
Notes
If you cannot find chile pasilla, you can replace that chile with chile ancho. If they are pretty big in size, use your judgement. If big, use one for the soup base and one for garnish.
To finish this recipe in a timely manner, you will have to multi task cooking ingredients for the different steps at the same time. Otherwise it will take a more time to get done.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
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We made this recipe. Took my husband and I over 3 hrs to make (You claim 1 1/2hrs working alone?). It was delicious, but worth the effort? Probably not. Also, you forget to complete the instructions on the serrano and the shrimp, what to do with them once cooked/when to add.
Hi Jennifer, I am so sorry you feel the recipe is not worth the effort. As far as the instructions, I am not perfect and I forget now and then to add ingredients to the instructions. I appreciate you pointing it out to me so I can fix it. As far as completing the recipe, I do multi task on many of my recipes otherwise they will take a much longer time to get done. Again, I apologize you were not happy. Tortilla soup is one of my favorite recipe. Have a blessed day.
Hi Sonia,
I must say this only look me about an hour to make, minus the prep for the toppings. Your right multitasking is the key. I loved this soup, so did my partner, but we love all your recipes. Thank you for teaching me authentic Mexican cooking. Keep up the great work, well done!
Thank you MK for taking the time to write. I do appreciate it. I learned multitasking by watching my mom cook for a family of 10. It was the only way to get meals done in a timely manner.
This soup is so smoky, spicy, and flavorful. Definitely worth it to find those dried chiles. Cooking process was really very easy–key is to have several things going on at once. Will make this again.
Thank you Brittany! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. One of my favorite soup recipes!