Santa Fe Tortilla Chilaquiles

Photo by Alex of Beet & Blossom

This is one of my all-time favorite Mexican staples. The base recipe itself is fantastic all on its own or becomes a healthful lunch when served with a side salad. It also makes for an awesome breakfast when topped with a fried egg – or a raw egg then broiled. Because the soup is completely plant-based, you can add any good vegan crumbling or melting cheese, along with avocado and any other vegetable you can imagine – cucumber, eggplant, sweet potato, etc.  

Ingredients

For the chips:

1/3-1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil for frying

6 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges

Sea salt

For the chilaquiles:

1 qt. Santa Fe Tortilla Soup

48 freshly-fried tortilla chips

For the garnish:

1 Avocado diced, or 1/2 cup guacamole

1/4 cup Cotija cheese or vegan ricotta, crumbled

1/2 cup sweet corn kernels

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Steps

1.     Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot enough to fry, or ripple.

2.     Add the tortilla wedges in small batches, making sure they fill the bottom of the pan without overlapping. Cook, turning over once until nicely browned and crispy.

3.     Transfer to a baking sheet or platter lined with a paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt. Repeat until all tortillas are fried and seasoned.

4.     Place a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the Santa Fe Tortilla Soup and bring to a full simmer.

5.     Spread the chips over the soup and stir-in gently, making sure the chips get coated with the soup.

6.     Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the chips are hot and lightly moistened.

7.     Garnish with avocado or salsa, cheese, corn, and cilantro.