Sopa de Tortilla

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla) or some variation can be found on restaurant menus across the country. The traditional method originates from the Mexico City area in Mexico.

The ingredients in this recipe may vary from more traditional recipes that use dried chiles or other ingredients.

The flavors of this soup are filled with chicken, black beans, corn, hatch chiles and a spiced pureed tomato broth with crispy tortilla chips that provides you with a warming, comforting feeling that will bring you into the mindset that a vacation to Mexico is in order.

The Hatch Chile

(Hey isn’t that just an Anaheim Chile?)

Well no, not exactly. Anaheim chiles are a relative of the Hatch chile. It is said that the chile grown in Hatch, New Mexico made its way to Anaheim, California back in the late 1800s.

The chile seeds were planted in the soil of Anaheim and produced a chile that was not exactly like the Hatch, New Mexico variety.

The flesh was not as hearty and the spice level was lower (500 – 2500 scoville units) than the New Mexico relative.

The Hatch chile produces a beefier flesh of the pepper and the spice level is bumped up (1500 – 2500 scoville units) because of the growing conditions in New Mexico.

You Want the Heat Head to Hatch, NM

In Hatch, New Mexico the growing season for the chiles is very specific. Farmers plant during the first couple of weeks of June because they want to hit the optimal heat of the summer to allow the plants to benefit from the blazing heat of the day and the cool nights.

Along with the optimal time and temperatures of planting the peppers the soil conditions in New Mexico also allow the plants to produce the beefier flesh and adds to the increased spice of the peppers.

Chiles being moved from Hatch, NM to Anaheim, CA did not benefit from the same soil and growing conditions as the Hatch so the Anaheim produces a milder and leaner flesh which works well in many recipe applications but it doesn’t compare if you like the bite of the Hatch chile.

Get’em While they Last

The Hatch chile is only available for a very short window of the late summer. Many harvests are done in mid August, they have an 85 day growing period for the Hatch plants.

If you are in New Mexico during the late summer months, look for festivals celebrating the famous Hatch chile.

Enjoy them when they are available because they will be gone before you know it. Roasting the peppers gives the best flavor of the chile.

You can use immediately or freeze for later use. This is a great way to have the Hatch chile available to make this delicious soup as I did.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Roasted Hatch Chiles (GF)

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Course: Entree, Lunch, Main, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Chicken, Chiles, Comfort, GF, Gluten Free, Hatch Chile, Make Ahead, Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken, Soup, Tortillas

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf

A key step in the process of making this soup as with many soups, be patient, let the flavors build.

By letting the onions break down in the cooking process and bringing them to the browning stage, it brings out the sweetness and builds flavor in the resulting soup.

Each step helps build those flavors, sauteing the jalapenos, garlic and simmering for 20-30 minutes allows everything to break down and allows flavors to combine.

Pureeing brings all those flavors together to give the soup a thicker hearty flavor filled soup.

Pin Recipe Share on Facebook

Tried this recipe?Mention @culinaryseasons or tag #culinaryseasons!

Recipe Multiplier

.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tbsp Garlic Confit Oil or 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 ½ ea White Onion ¼" diced
• ▢ 6 ea Garlic Cloves minced
• ▢ 1 ea Jalapeno seeds removed ¼" diced
• ▢ 2 tbsp Adobo Sauce from Chipotle Pepper can
• ▢ 1 ea 28 oz can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• ▢ ½ tsp Mexican Oregano
• ▢ ½ tsp Cumin
• ▢ ½ tsp Coriander
• ▢ ½ tsp Granulated Garlic
• ▢ ½ tsp Granulated Onion
• ▢ 6 cups Chicken Broth
• ▢ 1 ea Juice of 1 Lime
• ▢ Kosher Salt to taste.
• ▢ 2 ea Roasted Hatch Chiles ¼" diced
• ▢ 1 can Black Beans rinsed
• ▢ 1 ½ cup Frozen Corn Kernels
• ▢ ½ ea Roasted or Rotisserie Chicken shredded

Garnish

• ▢ Tortilla strips or chips
• ▢ Sour Cream
• ▢ Avocado diced
• ▢ Cilantro leaves
• ▢ Scallions sliced
• ▢ Shredded Cabbage
• ▢ Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• ▢ Lime Wedges

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, heat the garlic confit oil or olive oil over a medium high heat.
• Add the onions and saute.

  Cook the onions until they are translucent and begin to take on some color. Heat may need to be adjusted lower to avoid cooking too fast.
• Add the jalapeno and garlic and continue to cook over a medium heat to begin to break them down. Approximately 5-10 minutes.
• Add the Adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers.

  Don't add any chipotle peppers unless you want the soup to be extra spicy.

  Cook the ingredients in the pot for a couple of minutes to incorporate the Adobo sauce.
• Add the can of tomatoes.
• Add the chicken broth & lime juice.
• Add the Mexican oregano, cumin, coriander, granulated garlic, & granulated onion.
• Bring the soup to a boil. Cover if needed to bring to a boil.
• Remove lid and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes.
• After the soup has simmered, puree the soup until smooth.
• Taste for seasoning adjustment with Kosher Salt and other spices if needed.

  Season to your liking but the pureed broth should be well flavored.
• Add the hatch chiles, black beans & corn kernels. Stir to combine.
• Add the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Serving the Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Serve the soup in a bowl garnished with Corn tortilla strips or chips.

  Wedges of Limes, Sour Cream, Diced Avocado, Cilantro, Scallions, Shredded Cabbage & Pepper Jack Cheese
  

Video