Mexico is a country that I had always wanted to visit, and last year I managed to take my first long overdue trip. I'd timed it to coincide with the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, a holiday with origins in a Precolumbian festival, that is now held on November 1st-2nd.
At this time its traditional for people to visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of their loved ones.
These celebrations are held throughout Mexico, but the villages around Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacan state have one of the best known Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico. Patzcuaro was the capital of the Precolumbian Tarascan state,that covered the georgraphical area of the present day state of Michoacan. The people of the Tarascan empire were mostly Purepecha, a people that still occupy the region today, and a lot of the food typical to the state of Michoacan owes its origins to the Tarascans.
Sopa Tarasca is said to be the original basis for tortilla soup, it is typically made with a chicken or pork stock, so I've substituted with vegetable. It's worth hunting down the dried ancho chillies as they give the soup a lovely rich smokey flavour.
At this time its traditional for people to visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of their loved ones.
Sopa Tarasca is said to be the original basis for tortilla soup, it is typically made with a chicken or pork stock, so I've substituted with vegetable. It's worth hunting down the dried ancho chillies as they give the soup a lovely rich smokey flavour.
Ingredients
500 ml vegetable stock
500 ml passata1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
100 g grated cheese (optional)
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 large dried ancho chilli
1 small dried chipotle chilli
2 fresh corn tortillas (if not available, could use tortilla chips)
1. Soak the dried chillies in freshly boiled water for at least 30 minutes, deseed them, tear the ancho chilli in half and keep half to one side (it will be used as a garnish) puree the soaked chillies with a little water
2. Cut the tortillas into strips approximately 1cm wide by 4cm long, fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Drain and keep to one side
3. Fry onions and garlic in olive oil until soft
4. Add vegetable stock, passata, herbs and chilli puree and bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes
5. Ladle the soup into serving bowls
6. Sprinkle the fried tortilla strips on the top of each bowl along with a spoonful of sour cream, and a piece of the reserved ancho chilli
2. Cut the tortillas into strips approximately 1cm wide by 4cm long, fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Drain and keep to one side
3. Fry onions and garlic in olive oil until soft
4. Add vegetable stock, passata, herbs and chilli puree and bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes
5. Ladle the soup into serving bowls
6. Sprinkle the fried tortilla strips on the top of each bowl along with a spoonful of sour cream, and a piece of the reserved ancho chilli
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