SOUPS
Summing up all my “soup experiences” through many years of travel, I firmly believe that no country’s cooks can rival those of Mexico when it comes to soup making. Whether it is a traditional soup made in a specific way with specific ingredients or one thrown together with whatever is around, they win hands down.
The following recipes, and those in my other books, provide just a small sample of the hundreds of regional soups that play so important a part in the Mexican meal.
SOPA DE TORTILLA Tortilla Soup
SERVES 6
When I first came to Mexico City in 1957, Sopa de Tortilla was by far the most popular. It was quite simple but delicious, with the distinctive tastes of epazote and good corn tortillas (before commercial tortillas took a downhill tumble). Dried chiles were cheaper then and a whole pasilla, inflated with frying, was placed across the surface of the soup bowl. Through the years this soup has acquired many embellishments, depending on each cook’s fancy.
VEGETABLE OIL FOR FRYING
12 SMALL TORTILLAS, CUT INTO STRIPS AND DRIED
12 OUNCES (340 G) TOMATOES, BROILED
¼ CUP (65 ML) ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
1 GARLIC CLOVE
6 CUPS (1.5 L) CALDO DE POLLO
2 LARGE SPRIGS EPAZOTE
3 PASILLA CHILES, FRIED CRISP AND CRUMBLED
6 HEAPED TABLESPOONS GRATED CHIHUAHUA CHEESE OR MUENSTER
Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the tortilla strips until they are lightly browned but not too crisp. Drain them on paper toweling. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Blend the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a smooth sauce, then add to the oil and fry for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is well seasoned and has reduced somewhat.
Add the sauce to the Caldo de Pollo and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning. Add the tortilla strips and cook them for about 3 minutes.
Just before serving, add the epazote. Cook for 1 minute more.
Serve each portion topped with pieces of crumbled chile and grated cheese.
NOTE: The base could be prepared (and even stored frozen) hours ahead but the final steps, adding tortillas and epazote, should be done a few minutes before serving.
SOPA DE BOLITAS DE TORTILLAS Tortilla Ball Soup
SERVES 6
The temptation, I think, might be to compare these with matzo balls, which can be deliciously light and delicate. These are much more solid, but they have a nice grainy texture and a gentle corn flavor. It is a popular “family” soup in Central and Northern Mexico.
12 STALE TORTILLAS, DRIED
½ CUP (125 ML) HOT WHOLE MILK
½ CUP (125 ML) FINELY GRATED QUESO AÑEJO (ABOUT 1½ OUNCES/45 G)
1 LARGE EGG, WELL BEATEN
SEA SALT TO TASTE
APPROXIMATELY ¼ CUP (65 ML) WHOLE MILK, COLD
MELTED LARD OR VEGETABLE OIL FOR FRYING
6 CUPS (1.5 L) TOMATO-CHICKEN BROTH (SEE RECIPE FOR SOPA DE TORTILLA)
⅓ CUP (85 ML) PREPARED SOUR CREAM
FINELY CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO OR PARSLEY
Break the tortillas into small pieces and blend until they are like fine bread crumbs; this amount will make about 1 cup (250 ml). Add the hot milk, cheese, egg, and salt and knead the dough well, then set it aside for several hours or refrigerate it overnight, to allow the tortilla particles to soften.
Again knead the dough well, adding the cold milk. Roll the dough evenly into one long piece; divide this into 12 pieces, and each piece in half again. Roll the 24 pieces into small balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Heat the lard in a skillet and fry the balls very gently, turning them from time to time until they are a golden brown—about 5 minutes. Drain well. Put the balls into the heated broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Serve in individual bowls—four balls per serving—and top each with a spoonful of the cream and some chopped cilantro.
CALDO DE HABAS Dried Fava Bean Soup
SEÑORA MARÍA ELENA LARA
SERVES 6
This is quite the most delicious version of dried fava bean soup that I have ever eaten. Even those who say they can’t stand cilantro will eat it in this soup—providing you don’t let on. Actually, this is a Lenten dish in Mexico, and a friend of mine there was almost shocked when I served it to her on a cool, rainy summer day.
Cooking time varies enormously, depending, of course, on the age of the beans and their density, which varies between those grown in the United States and those grown in Mexico. Be sure to buy the peeled pale yellow beans. There are some brown unpeeled ones on the market that take forever to cook—and then you have the messy business of removing the skins.
8 OUNCES (225 G) DRIED, PEELED YELLOW FAVA BEANS (ABOUT 1½ CUPS/375 ML)
2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
⅔ CUP (165 ML) ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
2 GARLIC CLOVES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
ABOUT 8 OUNCES (225 G) TOMATOES, FINELY CHOPPED (1⅓ CUPS/333 ML)
ABOUT 10 CUPS (2.5 L) HOT WATER
10 SPRIGS FRESH CILANTRO, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
2 TEASPOONS SALT, OR TO TASTE
6 TABLESPOONS FRUITY OLIVE OIL
2 PASILLA CHILES, FRIED AND CRUMBLED
Rinse the beans well, picking out any loose pieces of skin or fiber.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the beans, together with the onion and garlic, until they are lightly browned and the onion and garlic are translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry over high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is almost dry—about 3 minutes. Add the water, cilantro, and salt and let the soup cook over low heat until the beans are mushy and almost disintegrated—about 3½ hours (see note).
Serve each bowl with a tablespoon of the olive oil and some crumbled pasilla chile on top.
NOTE: This soup can be prepared several hours or even a day ahead, but since it will thicken up considerably, it will have to be diluted with water or chicken broth. The soup freezes successfully.
SOPA DE PAN Bread Soup
SEÑORA MARÍA, CASA BLOM, SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS
SERVES 6
There are many versions of this recipe among the old families of Spanish origin in different regions of Mexico. In Chiapas it is always prepared for fiestas, and was probably a Lenten dish until the chicken broth crept in.
I like to use a sourdough bread, which has a tougher crumb than most white breads so that it will not absorb too much fat when frying.
4 CUPS (1 L) STALE BREAD CUBES, PREFERABLY SOURDOUGH
½ CUP (125 ML) VEGETABLE OIL, MORE IF NECESSARY
4 OUNCES (115 G) UNSALTED BUTTER (ABOUT 1 CUP/250 ML)
6 CUPS (1.5 L) CHICKEN BROTH
4 OUNCES (115 G) GREEN BEANS, TRIMMED AND CUT INTO THIRDS
4 OUNCES (115 G) CARROTS, SCRAPED AND THINLY SLICED (ABOUT 1 CUP/250 ML)
6 SPRIGS FRESH THYME OR ¼ TEASPOON DRIED
SALT TO TASTE
2-INCH (5-CM) PIECE OF CINNAMON STICK
2 WHOLE CLOVES
10 PEPPERCORNS
2 WHOLE ALLSPICE
LARGE PINCH OF SAFFRON
8 OUNCES (225 G) POTATOES, PEELED AND CUT INTO ½-INCH (1.5-CM) SLICES (ABOUT 1¼ CUPS/315 G)
2 MEDIUM PLANTAINS (ABOUT 1 POUND/450 G), PEELED, QUARTERED, AND CUT INTO 3-INCH (8-CM) LENGTHS
1 POUND (450 G) TOMATOES, THICKLY SLICED
1 CUP (250 ML) THINLY SLICED WHITE ONION
2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED
4 HARD-COOKED EGGS, SLICED
Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C).
Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet in one layer and bake until they are crisp on the outside but not dried all the way through—20 to 30 minutes.
Heat some of the oil in a large skillet and melt a portion of the butter in it. Fry the bread cubes lightly until golden brown, adding more oil and butter as necessary (if you add it all at once, the bread cubes will absorb it and become soggy). Drain and set aside, reserving the oil in the pan.
Heat the chicken broth, and when it comes to a boil, add the beans and carrots and simmer until just tender—10 to 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables and set aside. Add the thyme, salt, and spices to the broth and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth—there should be about 5 cups (1.25 l).
Reheat the oil in which the bread was fried, adding about ½ cup (125 ml) more as necessary, and fry the sliced potatoes on both sides until well browned; remove and drain. In the same oil, fry the plantain slices until golden brown; remove and drain. Fry the sliced tomatoes, onion, and garlic together until soft, then remove and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease an ovenproof dish, ideally 8½ by 13½ by 2 inches (21.5 by 34 by 5 cm). Spread alternate layers of the vegetables and the tomato mixture in the dish. Cover with the bread cubes and top with the slices of egg. Pour the broth over and bake for about 15 minutes.
Serve immediately in deep bowls.
NOTE: The components of this dish can be prepared ahead and assembled just before putting in the oven. The soup does not freeze.
SOPA DE FIDEO AGUADA Angel Hair Pasta in Tomato Broth
SERVES 6
This soup is Mexican soul food and turns up predictably several days a week on the Mexican dinner table; it is both economical and easy to prepare. Because it is so popular and I am asked constantly for a recipe, I have included it. But it’s not one of my own favorites.
The soup thickens considerably as it stands, so it may have to be thinned down with more stock if you make it ahead.
3 TO 4 TABLESPOONS CHICKEN FAT OR VEGETABLE OIL
4 OUNCES (115 G) ANGEL HAIR PASTA
12 OUNCES (340 G) VERY RIPE TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED (2⅓ CUPS/585 ML)
1 GARLIC CLOVE, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
¼ CUP (65 ML) ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
7 CUPS (1.75 L) LIGHT CHICKEN BROTH
2 SPRIGS FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY
Heat the fat in a large skillet and add the whole bundles of pasta without breaking them up. Fry until the pasta is a deep golden brown, stirring all the time and taking care not to burn. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
Blend the tomatoes with the garlic and onion until smooth. Add to the fried pasta and continue cooking over very high heat about 4 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture is almost dry. Add the broth and the parsley and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the pasta is soft. Adjust the seasoning. (It should take about 20 minutes to cook and season well.)
NOTE: This soup may be prepared several hours ahead, but does not freeze.
SOPA DE LENTEJAS ESTILO QUERÉTARO Lentil Soup
OBDULIA AND ANA MARÍA VEGA, QUERÉTARO
SERVES 6
When I rented a house one summer, I was delighted to find that the maids who came with it were from a small rural community in Querétaro. They loved to cook their simple peasant dishes for me, and this is one of them.
Cooking time varies depending, of course, on how dry the lentils are or whether they were grown in the United States or Mexico. The Mexican lentils seem to have a denser consistency and thus thicken the soup more. When using American lentils, increase the amount to 6 ounces (180 g). Dilute the soup with water or chicken broth if it thickens too much.
4 TO 6 OUNCES (115 TO 180 G OR ½ ROUNDED CUP/125 ML) SMALL BROWN LENTILS
6 CUPS (1.5 L) WATER, APPROXIMATELY
8 OUNCES (225 G) NOPALES (ABOUT 3 MEDIUM-SIZE CACTUS PADDLES), CLEANED OF PRICKLES (THIS PAGE) AND CUT INTO SMALL SQUARES (ABOUT 1¾ CUPS/ 440 ML)
SALT TO TASTE
1 LARGE SCALLION, GREEN PART INCLUDED, QUARTERED
8 OUNCES (225 G) TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED (1½ CUPS/375 ML)
1 GARLIC CLOVE, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
¼ CUP (65 ML) FINELY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
1 JALAPEÑO CHILE, OR 2 SERRANO CHILES, OR ANY FRESH, HOT GREEN CHILE, THINLY SLICED
1 CUP (250 ML) CHICKEN BROTH
3 LARGE SPRIGS CILANTRO
Rinse the lentils well and drain. Put them into a pan with 6 cups (1.5 l) of cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook over a low heat until mushy—about 3 hours for Mexican lentils, 2 hours for American.
Cover the cactus pieces with cold water, add ½ teaspoon of the salt and the scallion, and simmer until just tender—about 20 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain, discarding the onion.
Blend the tomatoes with the garlic until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the onion and chile gently, without browning, until they are soft. Add the tomato puree and fry for another 3 minutes or so over a high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is almost dry. Add to the lentils with the chicken broth and nopales. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, then add the cilantro and cook for 1 minute longer. Salt to taste.
NOTE: This dish could be prepared several hours ahead. It could be frozen for about a week.
SOPA DE PUERROS Leek Soup
SEÑORA DOMATILA SANTIAGO DE MORALES
SERVES 6
This is a very interesting and delicious recipe—Señora Domatila has never failed me. I have changed it in only one respect: I fry the leeks first, whereas she just boils them; I think the frying improves the flavor. Señora Domatila could never tell me where this recipe originated.
2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
4 CUPS (1 L) FINELY CHOPPED LEEKS, WHITE AND TENDER GREEN PART ONLY
¼ CUP (65 ML) FINELY CHOPPED FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY
6 CUPS (1.5 L) LIGHT CHICKEN BROTH
5 HARD-COOKED EGGS
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER TO TASTE
FRIED BREAD CROUTONS OR CRISP-FRIED TORTILLA PIECES
Heat the butter with the oil in a large, heavy saucepan and fry the leeks and parsley slowly until just soft, without browning—about 8 minutes. Add 5 cups (1.25 l) of the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the leeks are tender—about 8 minutes.
Shell the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Chop the whites fine and set aside. Blend the yolks, together with the rest of the broth, until smooth and add with the chopped whites to the soup. Season and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the leeks are completely soft and well seasoned.
Serve the soup with croutons or crisp-fried tortilla pieces.
NOTE: This recipe could be prepared up to about 4 hours ahead. I do not recommend freezing.
SOPA VERDE DE ELOTE Green Corn Soup
SERVES 6
This unusual and delicious soup, with all its wonderfully different flavors, is from Mi Libro de Cocina, a book published in San Luis Potosí in 1965. Unless you can get corn that is not too sweet, use frozen corn, measured before it defrosts.
¼ CUP (65 ML OR ABOUT 2 OUNCES/60 G) UNSALTED BUTTER
½ CUP (125 ML) FINELY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
2 SMALL GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY CHOPPED
⅔ CUP (165 ML) TOMATE VERDE, COOKED AND DRAINED
4½ CUPS (1.125 L) CORN KERNELS
5 CUPS (1.25 L) LIGHT CHICKEN BROTH
⅔ CUP (165 ML) GREEN PEAS, FRESH OR FROZEN
6 LARGE SPRIGS CILANTRO
2 SMALL POBLANO CHILES, CHARRED AND PEELED
3 LARGE ROMAINE LETTUCE LEAVES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 TEASPOON SALT, OR TO TASTE
6 TABLESPOONS SOUR CREAM, COMMERCIAL OR HOMEMADE
CRISP-FRIED TORTILLA PIECES
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
Blend the tomate verde until smooth. Add to the onion in the pan and fry over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Put the corn kernels into a blender jar (one third at a time) with 2 cups (500 ml) of the chicken broth and the peas, cilantro, chiles, and lettuce leaves and blend until quite smooth. Pass this puree through the medium disk of a food mill or strainer, then add to the pan and cook over fairly high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan constantly, since the mixture tends to stick.
Add the remaining broth and the salt and cook the soup over low heat until it thickens and is well seasoned—about 20 minutes.
Serve in soup bowls with a large spoonful of the sour cream and a sprinkling of tortilla pieces for each serving.
NOTE: This soup can be made ahead and it can be frozen. On defrosting, blend it for a few seconds before heating and serving.
SOPA DE ELOTE Fresh Corn Soup
SERVES 6
This is a delicious and comforting soup, but much will depend on the corn, which should not be sugary sweet. Unless you can get very fresh corn it is best to use frozen. Measure it frozen and then let it defrost. Do not on any account use canned corn, which has been precooked.
4 CUPS (1 L) FRESH CORN KERNELS (ABOUT 1½ POUNDS/675 G FROZEN CORN)
1 CUP (250 ML) WATER
¼ CUP (65 ML) BUTTER
3½ CUPS (875 ML) MILK OR LIGHT CHICKEN BROTH
½ TEASPOON SALT, OR TO TASTE
2 POBLANO CHILES, CHARRED, PEELED, AND CLEANED, THEN DICED AND BRIEFLY FRIED
6 TABLESPOONS CRUMBLED QUESO FRESCO
6 SMALL TORTILLAS, CUT INTO SMALL SQUARES, DRIED, AND FRIED CRISP AS FOR TOTOPOS
Blend the corn with the water at high speed until you have a smooth puree. Put the puree through the medium disk of a food mill or a coarse strainer.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan but do not let it get too hot. Add the corn puree and let it cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
Add the milk and the salt to the mixture and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring it from time to time to avoid sticking. By this time it will have thickened slightly.
Put about ½ tablespoon diced chile and 1 tablespoon of crumbled cheese into each bowl. Pour the hot soup over them and top with the crisp tortilla squares.
NOTE: The soup freezes quite well.
SOPA DE ELOTE Y RAJAS Fresh Corn and Poblano Soup
SEÑORA CANTÚ
SERVES 6
8 OUNCES (225 G) TOMATOES, BROILED
2 TABLESPOONS ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
3 SMALL POBLANO CHILES, CHARRED, PEELED, CLEANED OF VEINS AND SEEDS
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
ABOUT 3 CUPS (750 ML) CORN KERNELS, OR 1½ 10-OUNCE (285-G) PACKAGES FROZEN CORN
3 CUPS (750 ML) MILK
¾ CUP (185 ML) WHOLE CORN KERNELS, FOR ADDING LATER
SALT TO TASTE
6 HEAPED TABLESPOONS QUESO FRESCO OR SUBSTITUTE, CRUMBLED
Blend the tomatoes and onion and set aside.
Cut the cleaned chiles into narrow strips. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the chiles gently for about 2 minutes—they should not brown. Add the blended tomatoes to the chile strips and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce has reduced a little.
Blend the 3 cups of corn, together with the milk, at high speed to a very smooth consistency. This will probably have to be done in two stages. Put the corn mixture through the medium disk of a food mill or strainer and stir it in very gradually into the tomato sauce, stirring all the time.
Add the whole kernels and salt and cook the soup over very low heat—it should just simmer—for about 15 minutes.
Add a little cheese to each bowl before pouring the hot soup into it.
CREMA DE FLOR DE CALABAZA Cream of Squash Flower Soup
SERVES 6
When the squash plants are in full spate during the summer rains, huge baskets of the flowers come into the markets early every morning. It is best to rush home and cook them while the flowers are still wide open and delicately perfumed. (See for preparation of flowers for cooking.) In Mexico the flowers used most commonly are those of the calabacita invia, which have large yellow petals, about 50 to the pound (450 g) after cleaning. The zucchini squash blossoms you find in American farmers’ markets are much smaller and therefore 90 should be right for 1 pound (450 g). If using the latter the soup will have a slightly greenish yellow hue, as the proportion of petal is smaller.
3 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
⅓ CUP (85 ML) FINELY CHOPPED ONION
1 LARGE GARLIC CLOVE, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 POUND (450 G) SQUASH FLOWERS, CLEANED AND FINELY CHOPPED (ABOUT 8 CUPS/2 L, FIRMLY PACKED)
SALT TO TASTE
3½ CUPS (875 ML) LIGHT CHICKEN BROTH
⅔ CUP (165 ML) CRÈME FRAÎCHE OR HEAVY CREAM
SALT TO TASTE
THE RESERVED FLOWERS
2 POBLANO CHILES, CHARRED, PEELED, CLEANED, CUT INTO SMALL SQUARES, AND LIGHTLY FRIED
Melt the butter, add the onion and garlic in a deep saucepan, and cook gently until translucent—do not brown. Add the chopped flowers and salt, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the flowers are quite tender—10 to 15 minutes. Set aside a scant ½ cup (125 ml) of the flowers.
Blend the remaining flowers with 1½ cups (375 ml) of the broth and return to the pan. Add the remaining broth and cook over low heat for about 8 minutes.
Stir the cream into the soup and heat gently until it reaches the simmering point. Adjust seasoning and serve topped with the unblended flowers and the chile pieces.
SOPA DE AGUACATE Avocado Soup
SERVES 6
This is a lovely, pale green soup that can be served hot or cold. However, much will depend on the quality of the avocados; they must be very fresh and creamy. While I prefer the simple topping of chipotle chiles and tortilla squares, there are endless ways of dressing up this soup.
2 LARGE AVOCADOS, OR ENOUGH TO YIELD 2 CUPS (500 ML) PULP
6 CUPS (1.5 L) WELL-SEASONED CALDO DE POLLO
SMALL TORTILLA SQUARES, FRIED CRISP AS FOR TOTOPOS
CHIPOTLE CHILES ADOBADOS, TORN INTO SMALL PIECES
Cut the avocados into halves. Remove the pits and scoop out the flesh.
Place 2 cups (500 ml) of broth in a blender jar, add the avocado pulp, and blend to a smooth puree. Add to the rest of the broth in the pan and just heat it through gently. Do not let it boil.
Serve the soup immediately, topped with the tortilla squares and pieces of chipotle chile.
SOPA DE AJO Y MIGAS Garlic and Bread Soup
SEÑORA MARÍA ELENA LARA
SERVES 6
Prepared as described below, the eggs will form rough strands like egg drop soup. On one of my early cooking tours in San Diego, Jerrie Strom taught me a Chinese trick to keep the strands of eggs smoother and more silky: when beating the eggs, add about 1 teaspoon oil.
6 THICK SLICES FRENCH-TYPE BREAD, PREFERABLY SOURDOUGH
⅓ CUP (85 ML) VEGETABLE OR LIGHT OLIVE OIL, APPROXIMATELY
4 GARLIC CLOVES, SLICED
6 CUPS (1.5 L) STRONG CHICKEN BROTH
2 LARGE EGGS
2 LARGE SPRIGS EPAZOTE
SALT TO TASTE, IF NECESSARY
VEINS FROM 3 PASILLA CHILES, LIGHTLY TOASTED
Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C).
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet in one layer and bake until they are crisp on the outside but not dried all the way through—about 30 minutes.
Heat a little of the oil in a heavy pan and fry the bread on both sides until very crisp and golden brown, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on paper toweling and set aside to keep warm.
Add or make up to 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan, and cook, rather than fry, the garlic over a low heat so that it flavors the oil. Remove the garlic and discard. Pour a little of the broth into the pan, swirl it around, and add to the rest of the broth.
Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Beat the eggs lightly with a teaspoon of oil (see note) and, stirring constantly in a circular motion, add to the broth. Add the epazote and simmer until the eggs are set. Adjust the seasoning, then add the fried bread and simmer for half a minute, no longer.
Serve in deep soup bowls, with a crouton in each bowl, and top with chile veins to taste.
CALDO TLALPEÑO Chicken and Vegetable Broth
SERVES 6
Nobody can tell me how this broth came to be named for Tlalpan, a community that used to be on the outskirts of Mexico City but is now swallowed up by rapid urbanization. It used to be a favorite place for a Sunday outing to eat barbacoa or carnitas. Caldo Tlalpeño was quite possibly served in the pulquerias there—I have a theory that many a new soup or antojito were created in pulquerias and cantinas.
There are, of course, many variations of the recipe, some adding rice instead of chickpeas, for example. It is customary to serve a whole piece of chicken in each bowl but for the uninitiated it is more difficult to eat. I have therefore substituted shredded chicken.
8 OUNCES (225 G) GREEN BEANS
4 OUNCES (115 G) CARROTS (ABOUT 2 MEDIUM)
4 OUNCES (115 G) TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED (ABOUT 1 CUP/250 ML)
2 TABLESPOONS ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
1 GARLIC CLOVE, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON LARD OR VEGETABLE OIL
6 CUPS (1.5 L) CALDO DE POLLO
½ CUP (125 ML) COOKED AND SKINNED CHICKPEAS
2 LARGE SPRIGS EPAZOTE
2 CHIPOTLE CHILES, DRIED OR CANNED, TORN INTO STRIPS
1 CUP (250 ML) COOKED AND SHREDDED CHICKEN
1 AVOCADO, CUBED
6 LIME WEDGES
Trim the beans and cut them in two. Trim and scrape the carrots and cut into rounds. Blend together the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Heat the lard in a medium skillet, add the blended ingredients, and fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Heat the Caldo de Pollo in a large saucepan, add the vegetables, chickpeas, and tomato mixture, and cook over medium heat until tender—about 15 minutes.
Add the epazote and chiles and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Serve the soup in deep bowls, adding some of the shredded chicken and topping with the avocado. Lime wedges are passed separately.
NOTE: This soup can be prepared several hours ahead up to the point of adding the epazote and chiles. It does not freeze.
SOPA TARASCA TIPO CONDE Tarascan Bean and Tortilla Soup
SEÑORA BEATRIZ DE DÁVALOS
SERVES 6
When I was researching recipes for The Cuisines of Mexico many years ago, I was fortunate to meet and learn from one of the outstanding cooks at that time, Señora Beatriz de Dávalos. She introduced me to this soup and many other regional recipes from the Morelia area. Nowadays it is more likely that you will be served a Sopa Tarasca that resembles a tortilla soup, but this is tipo conde, meaning that it has a base of pureed beans. It is a delicious and filling cold-weather soup.
8 OUNCES (225 G) COOKED PINK OR PINTO BEANS (ABOUT 3½ TO 4 CUPS; 875 ML TO 1 L) WITH BROTH
1 POUND (450 G) TOMATOES, BROILED
1 GARLIC CLOVE
2 TABLESPOONS ROUGHLY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
3 TABLESPOONS LARD OR VEGETABLE OIL
2½ CUPS (625 ML) CHICKEN OR PORK BROTH
SALT AS NECESSARY
¼ TEASPOON DRIED MEXICAN OREGANO
6 OUNCES (180 G) QUESO FRESCO, THINLY SLICED
3 ANCHO CHILES, CLEANED OF SEEDS AND THEN CUT INTO NARROW STRIPS AND FRIED
3 SMALL TORTILLAS CUT INTO STRIPS, FRIED CRISP AS FOR TOTOPOS
THICK SOUR CREAM
Blend the beans, together with their broth, to a smooth consistency and transfer to a large, heavy saucepan.
Blend the tomatoes, garlic, and onion together to a smooth sauce. Melt the fat in a skillet and cook the tomato mixture over high heat for about 5 minutes, then stir into the bean puree and let it cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring it all the time.
Add the broth and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes over low heat. Add salt to taste and add the oregano just before serving.
Put a few pieces of the cheese into each bowl. Pour the hot soup over them and top with the chiles, some tortilla strips, and a dollop of sour cream.
NOTE: This soup will thicken considerably as it stands and will have to be diluted with broth or water. It freezes well.
SOPA DE LIMA Sour “Lima” Soup
SEÑORA BERTA LÓPEZ DE MARRUFO
SERVES 6
Sopa de Lima is the soup of Yucatán. It is named for the sour lime or limetta, as opposed to lime, the juice and rind of which give the soup a subtle flavor and astringency. Even in the hottest weather you will be served a sizzling bowl—sizzling as the hot, crisp-fried tortillas are added at the last moment.
This recipe produces a slightly more sophisticated soup than the usual restaurant offering.
8 CUPS (2 L) WATER
10 GARLIC CLOVES, TOASTED
¼ TEASPOON DRIED MEXICAN OREGANO, YUCATECAN IF POSSIBLE, TOASTED
6 PEPPERCORNS
SALT TO TASTE
4 CHICKEN GIZZARDS
2 CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SKIN AND BONES
6 CHICKEN LIVERS (ABOUT 8 OUNCES/225 G)
1½ TABLESPOONS LARD OR CHICKEN FAT
⅓ CUP (85 ML) FINELY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
¼ CUP (65 ML) FINELY CHOPPED CHILE DULCE OR GREEN PEPPER
8 OUNCES (225 G) TOMATOES, FINELY CHOPPED (1⅓ CUPS/335 ML)
½ LIMA AGRIA OR SUBSTITUTE FRESH LIME
VEGETABLE OIL FOR FRYING
12 TORTILLAS, CUT INTO STRIPS AND DRIED
¾ CUP (185 ML) FINELY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
⅓ CUP (85 ML) HABANERO CHILES, CHARRED AND FINELY CHOPPED
6 THIN SLICES LIMA AGRIA
Put the water into a soup pot. Add the garlic, oregano, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the gizzards and cook for 15 more minutes.
Add the chicken breasts and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Add the livers and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the meats are tender.
Strain the broth and set it aside. Remove the meat from the breasts and shred. Chop the livers, remove the gristle from the gizzards, and chop them. Keep the meats hot.
Heat the lard in a skillet and gently fry the onion and pepper until they are soft, but not browned. Add the tomatoes to the mixture in the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add to the broth and let it simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Add salt as necessary. Add a little of the chopped and shredded meats to each bowl.
Squeeze the juice of the ½ lima agria into the broth. Drop the squeezed lima shell into the broth for a few seconds only, then remove. Keep the broth warm.
Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the tortilla strips until they are crisp. Drain them on the toweling, and while they are still very hot, drop some of them into the broth in each soup bowl.
Pass the chopped onion, the chiles, and slices of lima separately.
CALDO DE QUESO SONORENSE Cheese Broth
SEÑORA CONSUELO M. MARTÍNEZ
SERVES 6
When I first tried this simple, peasant soup in Hermosillo, Sonora, the potatoes were cut into quite large pieces and the cheese was cut from a huge wheel. It was homemade cheese from a nearby ranch—crumbly, slightly acidy, and tasting of pure cream. It melted immediately in the hot broth.
12 OUNCES (340 G) RED BLISS OR WAXY NEW POTATOES
5 CUPS (1.25 L) BEEF BROTH
1 POUND (450 G) LARGE TOMATOES
2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
⅓ CUP (85 ML) SLICED WHITE ONION
1 SMALL GARLIC CLOVE, FINELY CHOPPED
1 ANAHEIM CHILE, CHARRED AND PEELED
SALT TO TASTE
12 THIN STRIPS QUESO FRESCO OR MUENSTER CHEESE
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares. Bring the broth to a boil, add the potatoes, and let them cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. They should be just cooked.
Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato and grate the flesh on the coarse side of a grater. In a very short time you will have the skin of the tomato left flat in your hand. Don’t forget to grate the flesh from the top slices.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and gently fry the onion and garlic, without browning, until translucent. Add the tomato pulp and cook the sauce over brisk heat for 5 minutes, by which time it will have thickened somewhat and be well seasoned. Add the tomato sauce to the broth and potatoes.
Remove the seeds from the chile and cut it into strips. Add the chile strips to the broth and let it cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add salt as necessary. Just before serving, add the cheese. Serve the soup as the cheese melts.
CONSOMÉ DE CAMARÓN SECO Dried Shrimp Consommé
SEÑORA CLARA ZABALZA DE GARCÍA
SERVES 6
This is a wonderfully strong-flavored, slightly picante soup. Señora García says that she often serves small cups of it just before a meal of Caldo Michi. It is great for cold days, to end a long night, or to pep up a dull low-calorie diet.
8 OUNCES (225 G) MEXICAN DRIED SHRIMPS
4 TO 5 CUPS (1 TO 1.25 L) WATER
6 CASCABEL OR 4 GUAJILLO CHILES
1 MULATO OR 2 PASILLA CHILES
1 GARLIC CLOVE, LEFT WHOLE
ROUGHLY CHOPPED CILANTRO SPRIGS
FINELY CHOPPED WHITE ONION
LIME QUARTERS
Rinse the uncleaned shrimps in cold water and drain, cover the shrimps with 2 cups (500 ml) of the water, and bring them to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set them aside to soak for 5 minutes longer—no more, as the shrimps soon lose their flavor. Drain the shrimps and reserve the cooking water.
Remove the stems from the chiles and veins and seeds from half of them. Put the chiles into a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until soft (time varies, depending on how dry the chiles are). Remove from the heat and set aside to soak for about 5 minutes longer. Drain, discard the water in which they were cooked, and transfer to a blender jar with 1 cup (250 ml) of fresh water and the garlic. Blend until smooth.
Clean the shrimps by removing the legs, tails, and heads, but do not peel. Divide the cleaned shrimps into two parts. Roughly break up or chop one half and reserve. Transfer the other half with the shrimp debris to the blender jar. Add the water in which they were cooked and blend as smooth as possible.
Put the chile sauce and the blended shrimps into a large, heavy saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pan, for about 3 minutes. Add 1 more cup (250 ml) of the water, bring back to the simmering point, and continue cooking over low heat for about 5 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Add the shrimp pieces and continue cooking for 5 minutes, no longer. The soup should be rather thick, but dilute with water if preferred.
Serve in small cups and pass the toppings separately.
NOTE: This soup can be prepared several hours ahead and it can also be frozen.
CALDO MICHI Fish Soup
SEÑORA CLARA ZABALZA DE GARCÍA
SERVES 6
Two of the largest lakes in Mexico are Pátzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán, and Chapala, in the neighboring state of Jalisco. Both have their own versions of a fish and vegetable soup called Caldo Michi (caldo means “broth” and michi, “fish,” in the language of the Tarascan Indians) and made with fish from the lakes—catfish, carp, or the unique little pescado blanco (white fish), with its sharply pointed head and transparent flesh with wide silver stripes along each side.
Usually the whole fish is used because the gelatinous quality of the head adds substance to the broth (leave it out if you can’t bear the thought, but do not skin or bone the fish slices). For Caldo Michi, do not first make a broth using the heads, as you would for most fish stews. I have tried it and it doesn’t seem to work—perhaps because, with notable exceptions, freshwater fish of this type do not have a particularly fine flavor. Chicken broth is used locally.
Out of many recipes given to me for Caldo Michi, I have chosen that of Señora García. I like the flavor of her soup much better, and in talking to her about the regional food I’ve found she has a great respect both for traditional cooking methods and for fresh ingredients. Every year she pickles all her own chiles and frutas in homemade pineapple vinegar, for this and other recipes.
As a substitute for frutas en vinagre, I suggest you put in a couple of slices of lime and a few sour pickles.
2½ POUNDS (1.125 KG) WHOLE CATFISH OR CARP
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER TO TASTE
¼ CUP (65 ML) VEGETABLE OIL
10 OUNCES (285 G) SLICED TOMATOES, ABOUT 1½ CUPS (375 ML)
½ CUP (125 ML) THINLY SLICED WHITE ONION
3 GARLIC CLOVES, LEFT WHOLE
8 CUPS (2 L) CHICKEN BROTH
3 MEDIUM CARROTS (ABOUT 4 OUNCES/115 G), SCRAPED AND SLICED
2 ZUCCHINI (ABOUT 6 OUNCES/180 G), TRIMMED AND CUT INTO ROUNDS
¼ TEASPOON DRIED MEXICAN OREGANO
3 JALAPEÑO CHILES EN ESCABECHE, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
⅔ CUP (165 ML) LOOSELY PACKED FRUTAS EN VINAGRE OR AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF SOUR PICKLES PLUS 2 SLICES LIME
8 LARGE SPRIGS CILANTRO, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
Rinse and dry the fish well. Cut the body into 1-inch (2.5-cm) slices and the head, if used, into four pieces. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and fry the fish pieces very lightly; the flesh should just turn opaque. Remove and set aside.
In the same oil, fry the tomatoes, onion, and garlic together until the onion is soft and the mixture has a saucelike consistency. Add the broth, carrots, zucchini, oregano, chiles, and frutas en vinagre (or substitutes) to the pan and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add the fish pieces and simmer until the flesh flakes easily from the bone—about 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped cilantro. Serve the soup accompanied by freshly made tortillas.
NOTE: This soup may be prepared a few hours ahead of time, but add the fish pieces about 10 minutes before serving. It will not freeze.
CALDO DE PIEDRA 
BROTH OF “STONES”
Many years ago now on one of my early trips to Oaxaca, friends there told me about a cooking method that would provide a pre-hispanic culinary surprise; I had to see it for myself. It wasn’t until last summer, when I was driving through Tuxtepec on my way to Veracruz, that I had time to make a detour to Usila, famous for its unique way of cooking fish in caldo de piedra. This small, isolated village is situated near a river of the same name that winds through a valley cut off by high mountain ridges.
There was not enough time to go by bus, because the journey takes several hours over a rocky, difficult track that becomes almost impassable in the rainy season, but with the help of Relámpago Negro (Black Lightning), a taxi driver in Tuxtepec, I finally found a driver to take me in his pickup truck—which usually transports ten people out of Tuxtepec—for quite a tidy sum of money because, he said, his tires wear out in three months.
It was a spectacular trip, with lush vegetation that seemed to close in on us as the truck slowly made its way along the deeply rutted, rocky track. At one point we passed under a natural arch of immense, overhanging rocks thickly festooned with tropical creepers. But as we began our descent, there was an abrupt curve in the road and suddenly there was a magnificent panorama of the valley below, with the river Usila winding through it in dramatic loops.
By then it was almost midday and I doubted there would be time to arrange for the preparation of the caldo de piedra. But in Mexico you never give up hope—somehow there is always a way. And there was.
It was disappointing not to go fishing and have the fish cooked right there by the river, but instead, the owner of a small restaurant there offered to prepare it for us. There was a glowing wood fire on the raised adobe cooking surface and small river pebbles were put into the hot ashes. Señor Gachupín, our host, set a hollowed-out gourd for each of us and put into each a small amount of sliced tomato, white onion, a jalapeño chile, and some sprigs of cilantro, and on top five small crayfish from the river—he apologized for not having fish to add to it. He added water almost to the surface of each gourd and then, retrieving the stones, now red hot, one by one from the fire with a pair of sticks for tongs, dropped them into the gourd. There was a fierce hissing as the water boiled up like a geyser and subsided into a foam on the surface. In perhaps 3 minutes, all the ingredients were cooked into a fragrant broth. He continued with the rest of the gourds and then reheated freshly made corn tortillas by hanging them over sticks, over the fire.
It was one of those memorable meals and we talked about it as we drove slowly back—this time with a family of four behind to give us ballast up the steep track. They made themselves useful, too. I had despaired of getting a wild plant (xonequi; see recipe in My Mexico) for a class I was to give in Veracruz the next day but there it was, creeping over the bushes by the side of the road. Everybody got down to help and within a short time there was a large enough pile of leaves for the class.
Tortilla Soup
