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Sopa Tlaxcalteca (Tlaxcalan Tortilla Soup with Beans)

Name: Sopa Tlaxcalteca (Tlaxcalan Tortilla Soup with Beans)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 Tomatoes; 60 ml Soured cream; 3 Dried pasilla chilli; 60 g Fresh cheese; 2 cloves Garlic; 8 Maize tortillas; 200 g Cooked black beans; 0.5 White onion; 750 ml Chicken stock; 3 tbsp Vegetable oil; 80 g Pork crackling; 1 tsp Salt

40 min (15 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Tlaxcala

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Tortilla soup with black beans, pork crackling and pasilla chilli from Tlaxcala.

About this recipe

Sopa tlaxcalteca is a comforting tortilla soup with black beans, pork crackling and pasilla chilli, a traditional bowl dish from the state of Tlaxcala.

History & Origin

Sopa tlaxcalteca is a bowl dish that reflects the frugal, waste-nothing cooking of Tlaxcala, where day-old tortillas are cut into strips, fried until crisp, then submerged in a thick tomato and pasilla chilli broth that softens them to just the right point. Pot-cooked black beans contribute protein and the deep flavour that characterises Tlaxcalan cooking, while chunks of chicharrón add texture and the smoky pork notes so typical of Mexican cuisine. This dish has its roots in the peasant cooking of the Tlaxcalan valleys, where farming families prepared tortilla soup as the main midday meal after working the land. The combination of pasilla chilli with tomato and garlic creates a complex flavour base requiring no expensive ingredients to be memorable. In Tlaxcalan homes the soup is served with soured cream, crumbled fresh cheese and pickled jalapeño chillies as indispensable accompaniments. It is one of those simple dishes that defines the culinary identity of a people, prepared with the same care in a ranch kitchen as in a restaurant in the city of Tlaxcala.

Estimated cost

£4.60

Total cost

£1.15

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

340

Calories

12g

Protein

44g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

580mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cut the tortillas into 1 cm strips. Fry in hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain and set aside.
💡 Use day-old tortillas; fresh ones absorb too much oil.
2
Devein the pasilla chillies and lightly toast them on a griddle. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes.
3
Roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the griddle until soft and charred in places.
4
Blend the roasted tomatoes with the soaked chillies, garlic and onion. Strain the sauce.
5
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot. Fry the sauce for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until it darkens and thickens.
6
Add the chicken stock and black beans. Season with salt. Boil for 5 minutes.
7
Add the fried tortilla strips and broken pork crackling. Turn off the heat. Leave to rest 2 minutes so the tortillas absorb the broth.
💡 Do not leave too long or the tortillas will disintegrate; they should be slightly softened but still have texture.
8
Serve in deep bowls with soured cream, crumbled fresh cheese and extra crackling on top.