Mexican · soup

Sopa de Tortilla

Name: Sopa de Tortilla
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups dried corn tortillas cut into strips; 3 tomatoes; 1 dried pasilla; 1/2 white onion; 3 cloves garlic; 6 cups chicken broth; 2 sprigs epazote; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 cup crema; 1 avocado; 4 oz queso fresco; salt to taste

Sopa de Tortilla reads umami 6.8, richness 6.2 and salinity 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican soup, about 1 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.8 · Richness 6.2 · Salinity 4.1 · Allium 3.8 · Heat 2.8 · Sweetness 2.6 · Sourness 2.1 · Fruity 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Herbaceous 1.4 · Earthy 1.3 · Nutty 1.0 · Bitterness 1.0 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (12)

4 cups dried corn tortillas cut into strips
3 tomatoes
1 dried pasilla
1/2 white onion
3 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs epazote
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup crema
1 avocado
4 oz queso fresco
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 1 hr (30 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 157.5 kcal, 4.3 g protein, 5.3 g fat, 24.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Blend roasted tomatoes, charred onion and garlic, and rehydrated dried chile into a smooth sauce and fry it in oil until it darkens.
Add chicken broth and epazote, bring to a simmer, and season with salt.
Fry tortilla strips until crisp, ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with crispy strips, crema, avocado, and cheese.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sunny Chicken Paella — Spanish
Sopa a la Minuta — Peruvian
Cajun Smothered Beef Tips over Rice — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
Carne Guisada with Warm Tortillas — Tex-Mex
Classic Beef Chili with Kidney Beans — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.