My Number One Upgrade to Making the Best Tortilla Soup Ever

I want to tell you a genius trick for making the most delicious Tortilla soup. Google Trends shows a significant increase in the number of people searching for Tortilla soup recipes, online. This trend is not surprising because Tortilla is one of the best soups for slurping especially in the cold season. I have stumbled on a secret cooking method that has transformed the way I prepare Tortilla soup, forever. Read further down to learn about my secret method.

Secret Tortilla Soup Cooking: Fry Strips of Corn Tortillas in Oil First

Yes, my secret step to making an upgraded Tortilla is frying the corn strips in oil first, and then using the cooking oil to prepare the soup further. Remember, Tortilla chips are not a mere garnish for the soup, and by using the cooking oil as the base for your soup, you will infuse the whole flavor of toasted tortilla corn in the soup.

Why is This Method an Upgrade in Tortillas Soup?

I have read about South Asian cooking techniques of blooming spices before now and it involves sizzling raw spices and seeds to bloom their aroma and flavor inside oil. Similarly, when corn tortillas are fried in oil, you will not only get crunchy tortilla chips as a top-up to the soup. You will now get oil that has been deeply flavored to cook the aroma-infusing ingredients like garlic, onions, and chilies for your soup.

Another benefit you will get is that freshly fried tortilla chips will not disintegrate into the soup as quickly as those store-purchased chips.

Use the Following Tips to Fry Your Corn Tortillas

I will recommend the following tips to fry your corn tortillas to get the most out of the tortilla soup.

1. Use Stale Corn Tortillas for Frying

You should opt for a day-old corn tortillas, they seem to be the most ideal for this purpose. Since stale tortillas are dryer, they tend to fry faster and soak up less oil, which means they won’t splatter as much oil at you when frying. If you don’t have stale corn on hand, spread the available tortillas on a sheet pan, then pop them inside a 200F degree oven for about 10 minutes to dry out. You may want to cut the tortillas into strips before drying them out, and you may want to pre-heat the oven too. Don’t forget to start the oven’s timer, only when the temperatures reach 200F degrees.

2. Use Yellow Corn Tortillas If Available

Your local grocery store will likely provide you with two varieties of corn tortillas; yellow and white. You will find out that the yellow corn tortillas are sturdier, and have richer corn flavor when compared to the white corn tortillas. Yellow corn tortillas also possess heightened flavors when fried. The white option will still be a great alternative in case you can’t find the yellow one.

3. Salt Your Tortilla Chips As Soon as You Scoop Them Out of Oil

You must salt your fried tortilla chips quickly as soon scoop them out of oil. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate first before you salt them. This is not the moment to take a break around your kitchen counter, because salt does not stick to a dry surface hence you want to sprinkle them on the on the surface of the tortillas when they are still wet with oil and moisture. This means you have roughly 20 seconds after the chips leave the oil, to salt them. The amount of salt needed is up to you but a pinch should be enough.

Enjoy your delicious Tortilla Soup!