I have been absolutely craving the Sopa De Tortilla from El Rancho for weeks now. I have, in fact, been craving it so much that I have made 4, yes, 4, attempts in the last 3 weeks to go to El Rancho specifically for this soup but have been thwarted at every turn. It seems every time I go they are not open for one reason on another and there is a frustrating little note pinned to the door saying that they are closed for the evening.... GRRRRR.
So I have given up.
I bought an avocado a few days ago in the hope that I might find the time to google a recipe that looked similar. Alas, the avocado was ripe today and I hadn't googled a thing. So I just kind of made it up with what I had on hand and honestly, although inauthentic, this soup was really damn good. If you wanted to get more authentic you could replace the parsley with cilantro, use shredded roast chicken in place of the sliced chicken thighs and use lime instead of lemon. You could also add fresh cheese such as queso fresco or feta and use fresh chillies instead of dried.
Serves 4
- 3 (6" - 8") tortillas
- spray on canola oil
- salt
- 6 cups good chicken stock
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 chicken thighs or one breast
- 1 large Haas avocado, sliced thinly into approximately 18 -20 slices (if you don't know how to slice an avocado - click here)
- 1/4 cup sliced chives
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 lemons or limes
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray tortillas on both sides with oil, slice into small strips about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven 20 minutes or until crispy. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring stock, red pepper and garlic to a simmer. Slice chicken into small strips. Immerse in stock to simmer for 2 minutes. Add avocado, chives and parsley to stock.
Carefully grate a small amount of lemon zest (about 1/4 teaspoon) into stock. Cut lemons in half.
Ladle soup into 4 soup plates and top with 1/4 of the tortilla strips. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over each bowl.
