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Ancho and Pasilla Chile Tortilla Soup
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Chile & Tortilla Soup with Anchos, Pasillas, Beans & Corn

This is a Mexican-inspired soup using whole dried chiles with some traditional and non-traditional ingredients.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Kevin Godbee

Equipment

  • 1 Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-to-large ancho chilies stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
  • 2 medium-to-large pasilla chiles stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3 tbsp grape seed oil
  • 1 lb ripe tomatoes (roughly 4 baseball size tomatoes), cored
  • 1 medium white onion root end intact, cut into 4 wedges
  • 4 medium garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 1½ tsp agave syrup
  • 1 qt chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt or more to taste
  • 1 tsp MSG optional for you, but not for me
  • 1 tbsp garlic salt
  • 1 16 oz can pinto beans strained and rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can white hominy strained and rinsed
  • 1 16 oz can garbanzo beans strained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn frozen
  • 3 cups tortilla chips coarsely crumbled
  • sour cream for serving
  • chives diced, for serving

Instructions

  • In a Dutch oven over medium, toast the chilies, pressing with a wide spatula and flipping once or twice, until fragrant and a shade darker in color, 2 to 4 minutes.
  • Transfer to a small bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
  • While the chilies soak, in the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high until shimmering.
  • Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, then cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until charred all over, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the tomatoes, onion and garlic to a blender and add the agave and 1 teaspoon salt. Drain the chilies, discarding the water, and add to the blender. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
  • In the same the pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium until shimmering. Add the puree and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color and thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the broth, salt, black pepper, MSG, garlic salt, pinto beans, white hominy, garbanzo beans, and corn, and bring to a simmer.
  • Add some crumbled tortilla chips to the bottom of serving bowls, then add soup, and top with more crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream and chopped chives.