<HTML>This one comes from Diana Kennedy's <em>The Art of Mexican Cooking</em> and is a favorite of my friend Charlie's.
Sopa Tarasca serves 6.
1/2 cup water
6 ounces (about 1 medium) tomatoes, roughly chopped, unpeeled
1 small slice white onion
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small chile ancho, cleaned of veins and soaked in hot water for ten minutes
1 corn tortilla
1 tablespoon safflower oil
5 cups chicken broth
1 large leafy stem of epazote (optional)
sea salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican if possible
6 corn tortillas, cut into narrow strips and fried crisp
3 chiles anchos, cleaned of seeds and veins, flattened out, torn into thin strips, and fried crisp
6 tablespoons finely grated queso añejo or Romano cheese
Put the water into a blender jar and add the tomato, onion, garlic, dried chile ancho, and tortilla. Blend to a fairly smooth puree. Heat the oil in a soup pot, add the puree, and fry over fairly high heat for about eight minutes. Add the chicken broth, optional epazote; cook over medium heat until well-seasoned—about ten minutes.
Put some of the fried tortilla pieces into each cup, pour the soup over them, top with pieces of fried chile ancho and cheese, and serve immediately.</HTML>
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