I couldn't find any of the chiles required for this (grr). For the soup I used: 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. For the relish, I used a green chile instead of a serrano, which turned out to be a good idea because the soup was spicy. I decided to bake the chips instead of frying them. Brush each side with oil (I used vegetable oil like they recommended) and bake at 375˚F in one layer on a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. The tortillas you're going to crush can be cooked whole (to save time).
NOTE: You could make this vegetarian (or vegan) by substituting the appropriate broth/tortillas!
Make the soup: Preaheat boiler.
Arrange onion, tomatoes, and garlic in one layer in a baking pan and broil about 2 inches from heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until tomato skins are blistered and lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over moderate heat until very hot but not smoking. Toast chiles 1 or 2 at a time, pressing down with tongs, until more pliable, a few seconds on each side. Transfer to a bowl. Add hot water to cover chiles and soak until soft, about 20 minutes.
Drain chiles and transfer to a blender. Add vegetable mixture and purée until smooth.
Meanwhile, make the relish: Quarter avocados. Pit, peel, and cut in to 1/4-inch dice. Gently stir together avocados, tomato, onion, chiles, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, crushed peppercorns in a bowl until well combined.
Difficulty: Easy, but takes a while
Yield: 8 servings
FOR SOUP:
1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound plum tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and ribs discarded
About 1 1/2 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil for deep-frying
10 (5- to 6-inch) white corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
8 cups (64 ounces) chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR AVOCADO RELISH:
2 firm but ripe California avocados
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1-2 serrano chiles (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus 8 fresh cilantro sprigs
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed black peppercorns
ACCOMPANIMENT:
lime wedges
Make the soup: Preaheat boiler.
Arrange onion, tomatoes, and garlic in one layer in a baking pan and broil about 2 inches from heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until tomato skins are blistered and lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over moderate heat until very hot but not smoking. Toast chiles 1 or 2 at a time, pressing down with tongs, until more pliable, a few seconds on each side. Transfer to a bowl. Add hot water to cover chiles and soak until soft, about 20 minutes.
Drain chiles and transfer to a blender. Add vegetable mixture and purée until smooth.
Chile and vegetable purée.
Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 9-inch heavy skillet until it registers 375˚F on thermometer. Fry tortilla strips in 5 batches, turning, until crisp and pale golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return to oil to 375˚F between batches.)
Put two thirds of tortilla strips in a plastic bag and finely crush with a rolling pin.
Combine stock and chile purée in a 5-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, stirring. Stir in crushed tortilla strips, oregano, and salt and simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally, until tortillas are soft and soup is slightly thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. If necessary, season soup with salt and pepper.
Put two thirds of tortilla strips in a plastic bag and finely crush with a rolling pin.
Combine stock and chile purée in a 5-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, stirring. Stir in crushed tortilla strips, oregano, and salt and simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally, until tortillas are soft and soup is slightly thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. If necessary, season soup with salt and pepper.
Soup, to be thickened.
Meanwhile, make the relish: Quarter avocados. Pit, peel, and cut in to 1/4-inch dice. Gently stir together avocados, tomato, onion, chiles, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, crushed peppercorns in a bowl until well combined.
Divide relish, remaining tortilla strips, and cilantro sprigs among eight soup plates and ladle soup over mixture. Serve with lime wedges.
