AZTEC SOUP / SOPA DE TORTILLA

1 dried guajillo and 1 dried pasilla chilli, veins and seeds removed (or use 1½ tbsp chipotle chillies in adobo paste from a jar or can)

150ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ white onion, chopped

1.5kg tomatoes, chopped

2 x 15-cm tortillas, deep-fried and cut into strips

1ltr chicken or vegetable stock

2 fresh epazote sprigs or 1 tsp hoja santa powder

1½ tbsp sea salt

TO SERVE

Sour cream

200g fresh cheese (such as feta or Polish twaróg)

1 avocado, stoned, peeled and cut into cubes

8 tortillas, cut into thin strips and deep-fried until crisp

1 pasilla chilli, cut into thin strips and lightly toasted in a pan with 2 tbsp oil

Soak the dried chillies in a bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. Drain the chillies, reserving their soaking water if you want to use it to add more heat to the dish.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Once they begin to colour, add the tomatoes and soaked chillies (or chipotle chillies) and cook for about 10 minutes. Add half the deep-fried tortillas and the stock and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the epazote or hoja santa, then use a handheld stick blender to blend the soup until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and return to the pan to heat through again. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add more stock if the soup is too thick.

Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in some sour cream. Place a few cubes of cheese and avocado on top of the soup. Finish each bowl with a handful of the deep-fried tortilla strips and toasted chilli strips. →