Mexican Tortilla Soup with Ancho Chile Broth

What you need

• 1 (about 500 g) bone-in chicken breast
• 1.5 l (6 cups) chicken stock
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 500 g (1 lb) ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, cut in chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 corn tortillas
• 250 ml (1 cup) frying oil
• salt, to taste
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 150 g (5 oz) queso fresco, crumbled
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) Mexican crema, or sour cream
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the chicken breast in a large pot with the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until it reaches 74 °C (165 °F) inside, 25-30 min.

2. 2

   Lift out the chicken, let it cool a little, then shred the meat and set it aside. Keep the stock in the pot.

3. 3

   Slit the chiles open, shake out the seeds and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 20-30 seconds per side. Do not let them blacken. Soak them in hot water until soft, 15 min.

4. 4

   In the same skillet, cook the tomatoes, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, turning, until blistered and soft, 8-10 min. Peel the garlic.

5. 5

   Drain the chiles and blend them with the tomatoes, onion, garlic and a ladle of the hot stock until smooth.

6. 6

   Heat the vegetable oil in a second pot over medium-high heat. Strain the purée into it, standing back from the splatter.

7. 7

   Cook the purée, stirring, until it thickens and darkens, 5-6 min.

8. 8

   Pour in the rest of the stock, season with salt and simmer, partly covered, 20 min.

9. 9

   Stack the tortillas, cut them in half, then slice into strips about 1 cm wide.

10. 10

    Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet to 175 °C (350 °F). Fry the strips in batches until golden and crisp, 1-2 min. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

11. 11

    Divide the shredded chicken and tortilla strips among bowls and ladle the hot soup over them.

12. 12

    Top with avocados, queso fresco and a spoonful of crema. Serve with lime wedges.

Imported from howtomakerecipes.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.