Sopa azteca / sopa de tortilla (tortilla soup)
Mexico City — associated with restaurant culture; related to the older sopa de tortilla tradition
Sopa azteca (tortilla soup) is a Mexico City restaurant and home classic — a rich tomato-pasilla broth topped with crispy fried tortilla strips, cubes of panela or requesón cheese, avocado, crema, chipotle, and epazote. The broth is made from blended charred tomato, pasilla negro chile, garlic, and onion fried in oil, then diluted with chicken stock. The garnishes are added at service, never cooked in the broth — the contrast of hot broth and cold/room-temperature garnishes is intentional.