After a day spent indulging in butter, cream, dessert and lots and lots of starch, I’m looking for something clean tasting and zesty to eat. Here’s a super simple soup for your leftover turkey (or chicken another day).
The broth has the warmth of pureed chilies and garlic, all zipped up with plenty of fresh lime juice and flavorful garnishes. If you’re feeling a little lethargic, this is definitely a lazy day soup. Just pick up the ingredients along with your last minute Thanksgiving shopping and it can be thrown together in a snap the day after. The only step that takes the tiniest amount of effort is the chili puree.
Easy Turkey Tortilla Soup
serves 4 for a first course, two for a meal
4 cups homemade turkey broth or canned chicken broth
1-2 large garlic cloves, crushed into a pulp
2-3 tablespoons Ancho or New Mexico chili purée, depending on taste (see note for instructions)
One 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 small carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-1/2 cups cooked, shredded turkey meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes:
Diced Avocado
Crumbled tortilla chips
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Crumbled queso fresco (optional)
In a medium soup-pot, heat the broth until simmering, add the garlic, chili purée, tomatoes and carrots and simmer until carrots are soft, but still retain a bit of crispness, 15-20 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste and shredded turkey. Simmer until warmed through.
Remove from heat, adjust seasonings and serve immediately with garnishes.
*Note
For chili purée: Soak 2-3 dried Ancho or New Mexico chilies in boiling water until soft (about 10 minutes). Purée the chilies in a blender with just enough of their soaking water to make a smooth, not too thick, paste. Leftover chili purée will keep in the refrigerator for one week or the freezer for 2 months.
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Thanks for this great recipe. This sounds like a delicious alternative to the endless hot turkey sandwiches, (which I love, incidentally).
too funny, i'm reading this as i am eating leftovers from yesterday. my husband and i hosted our first thanksgiving and aside from one really smokey "almost" fire in the oven it was a success! (the drippings spilled over into the stove when we tried to move our giant 23 lb. turkey. lesson learned, place on an oversized cookie sheet in the future)
but so much work, i have a new appreciation for everyone who has hosted me in the past.
You know, to make this really easy, just use some ancho chile powder. Plus, I like to put a big pinch of masa harina in the soup--not enough to know it's there, just enough to help the tortilla flavor if I'm not making my own chips.
i would suggest substituting chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce for the chili puree! these are generally found in small cans in either the canned vegetable or Latin food aisle at the supermarket. yum. brilliant soup idea for my leftovers! thank you!
also, christina, in regards to the drippings spilling from the pan--another way to prevent this (in case you can't find a cookie sheet large enough!) is to remove most of the drippings with the baster before moving the turkey out of the oven.