Gather your mis en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 375. Halve the tomatoes, cut the onion into quarters and peel the garlic. Place them all on a baking sheet and smear the tomatoes with the tomato paste.

Measure out all ingredients.

Place the vegetables in the preheated oven and roast the vegetables until a bit of black color is achieved (about 25 minutes). Meanwhile crack open the chiles, discard the seeds and stem and tear it into pieces. Cover the chiles with 1 cup of boiling water and let sit to soften. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, epazote, cilantro stems, chiles and soaking liquid to a blender and blend into a smooth sauce.

In a large pot, heat vegetable oil on med heat, add tomato sauce and cook for about 3 min, lower heat and simmer for another 5 min. Add stock and simmer for 10 – 12 min.

Lower the oven temperature to 350F. Cut the tortillas into strips. Brush them with oil and bake for about 5 minutes or until crispy and golden.

To serve, ladle soup in bowls and add tortilla strips. Drizzle over some crema and add garnishes, reserving some garnishes on the side to add as needed.