My grandma would make this for me when I was a kid. I'm not really a soup person -- I get sick of the soft texture after a few bites -- but tortilla soup is different, because of all the different textures. And this is the perfect rendition -- the broth is thick, not brothy like some versions I've tasted. It's also not too tomato-y. It's spicy in a comforting--not painful--way. It hits that elusive sweet spot between chicken broth and tomato bisque that makes my ideal tortilla soup. I recently asked her to email me the recipe. She doesn't really understand email, and sent a sort of stream of consciousness recipe. It was vague, but sharply entertaining. And it led me to the soup of my memories.

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