Soulful Mexican Roasted Garlic & Pasilla Chile Soup
Details
A smoky, garlicky embrace in a bowl – this Mexican soup is pure comfort.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the Garlic
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice off the very top of the whole garlic head, exposing the cloves. Drizzle with a little oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin and set aside.
Prepare the Chiles
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried pasilla chiles. Briefly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant (be careful not to burn them). Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them rehydrate for 15-20 minutes, or until soft. Drain, reserving some of the soaking liquid.
Prepare the Bread
In a large saucepan or pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the bread slices until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Sauté Aromatics
In the same oil, add the chopped white onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the roasted garlic cloves and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Blend the Soup Base
In a blender, combine the rehydrated pasilla chiles, sautéed onion and garlic, and about 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until very smooth. If needed, add a little of the reserved chile soaking liquid to help it blend.
Cook the Soup
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the saucepan, pressing down on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the remaining solids. Add the remaining chicken broth to the strained mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste.
Serve
Just before serving, crumble the fried bread into the soup bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the bread. If desired, garnish with fresh epazote sprigs. Serve immediately.
Optional garnish
Top with a dollop of sour cream or crumbled queso fresco if desired.
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