Tortilla Soup at Casa Hidalgo in Cuernavaca México

Sopa de Tortilla at Casa Hidalgo in Cuernavaca, México is nothing like the spicy meat laden swill served in many American restaurants.  The subtlety of authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup lies in its full rich flavor.  How can a soup as basic as Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Chicken Broth, Epazote, Salt and Pepper be so captivating?  THAT'S only the beginning!  Somewhat like stone soup, if you remember the children's story, the presentation borders on ritual.

The Friday sun is setting.  My friend and I sit at a small table on the veranda.  A gentle breeze cools away the day's heat.  First a waiter places a Mexican hand-painted bowl in front of me.  It contains a few tortilla chips, with one small shell-shaped tortilla in the center.  He returns with a plate of sliced avocados, and spoons a generous amount into my bowl.  Another waiter follows him with a platter of cubed queso chihuahua, a mild but rich cheese that melts easily.  One spoonful onto the tortilla chips and avocado slices.  Close on his heels arrives another waiter carrying a gorgeous Mexican hand-painted pitcher full of a mouth-watering broth.  Slowly, even ceremoniously, he pours the steaming fragrant liquid onto the tortilla crisps, cheese and avocado.  And yet another waiter appears carrying a platter of lime wedges with a pot of Mexican crema in the middle.  He drizzles one luxurious tablespoon of crema into the soup and squeezes a lime wedge around the edge.  One more finishing touch: the last waiter arrives carrying a plate of seeded, roasted pasilla chiles.  He offers to crumble a bit of one into my soup.  I accept.

What seems to be the entire wait staff now surrounds us.
They indicate that I should taste the soup.
Anticipation rising, I take spoon in hand, dip it into the rich red broth and raise it to my mouth.

EPIC!

My first spoonful held a piece of cheese and broth.  Mmmm, melt in your mouth deliciousness.  The next a slice of smooth avocado and a crispy tortilla chip.  Ohhh.  Then one with hint of lime and crema.  On and on it went, every bite its own unique blend of broth and garnish.  I don't even remember when the wait staff left the table.  I was busy!

So here's my version of what I experienced at Casa Hidalgo:

Ingredients

• 2 T. Olive Oil (Aceite de Olivo)
• 1 Spanish Onion Chopped (Cebolla)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Ajo)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (optl.)
• 2-3 Heirloom Tomatoes (Jitomates) or Kumatoes  from Trader Joe's (taste like mid-summer heirlooms!)
• 1 qt. Organic Chicken stock (Caldo de Pollo)
• 1/2 to 1 t. Himalayan Pink Salt and 1/4 to 1/2 t. Pepper (Sal y Pimiento)
• 2 Fresh Mexican Chiles (Pasilla Chiles o Ancho Chiles) roasted 10-20 minutes at 400 seeds removed, or use dried, roasted Chiles but still remove the seeds. (One whole chile goes in the soup broth and gets blended, the other is to crumble, chop or break up to use on top as garnish for each serving... but a very small amount... 1/8 t.) Taste the chile to see how hot it is, and adjust accordingly.
• 1 sprig Epazote (can be found at a Mexican grocery)

Garnishes

• Corn Tortilla Strips (totopas)
• Yummy Mexican Cheese (Queso Chihuahua (the Best and available at Costco!!), Cotija, Manchego, Monterey) 1 heaping Tablespoon per serving
• Avacado (Aguacate) (1/4 to 1/2 per serving) chunked or sliced
• Crème Fraîche (Crema) Drizzle 1 T. per serving
• Limes (Limas) Cut in wedges (1/16 to 1/8 lime per wedge) (1 wedge per serving)
• 1/8 t. crumbled or chopped Mexican Chiles (Pasilla or Ancho)

Directions

Roast the Chiles if not already roasted.
Sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic, some salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes (canned and fresh... always better with fresh), stir and cook few minutes.
Add Chicken Stock, 1 chile pasilla and epazote.*
Heat through. Let simmer to meld flavors 20 minutes.
Remove epazote and blend soup.

For Presentation:
Place a judicious amount of tortilla strips in each bowl.
Add some cheese and avacado.
Pour broth into bowl.
Drizzle some crema. **
Squeeze a Lime wedge into the soup, place used lime wedge in soup for added flavor.
Sprinkle with 1/8 t. roasted pasilla chiles.

Notes:

Pasilla or Ancho Chiles are not spicy hot... not at all!  Do not use spicy chiles as they will over-power the subtlety of the soup.

* Epazote can be found at some Whole Foods stores, and may be readily available at a Mexican grocery store. It tastes a bit like savory, oregano and anise mixed. It's really a unique flavor, so I hope you can find it.

** Crema is a Mexican form of Crème Fraîche and can be made very simply: add 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk to 1 cup of heavy cream. Let stand at room temperature for 8-24 hours until thickened (time depends on degree of pasturization). The live cultures in the buttermilk will eventually "sour" the cream. This can be used in anything requiring sour cream.

Enjoy!