Believe it or not, even though I have been cooking since I was 5, I have never made soup. Not once. Isn’t that crazy? I’m truthfully not a huge soup fan and for some reason, I’ve always been sort of afraid to make it. It seemed easy enough, but I just couldn’t understand how I would make it taste better than watery broth. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally conquered my fear!
This Christmas we had a massive double turkey breast and there was a lot of meat left on it. I figured it was the perfect time to make my first soup. I perused a few recipes to get an idea of how to do it, and then decided to take a stab at a turkey tortilla soup. I took most of my ideas from this recipe.
I chose tortilla soup because 1. I thought my kids would love it and 2. Avocado and tortilla chips…need I say more?
I wanted to use the turkey carcass in its entirety but quite honestly it didn’t fit into my pot and so I trashed it. I tore all the meat off and that was that. I wasn’t going to stuff a turkey carcass into my soup just to say I did it! It didn’t end up mattering, because the soup turned out great.
The Critic gave this recipe two thumbs up and kept saying how good the soup was. I loved it too…amazeballs. And so easy! It can be made with leftover chicken or turkey, I think you could even make it with tofu.
Makes a large pot – at least 12 servings
2 cups cooked turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 398 ml/14oz can black beans
1 398ml/14oz can corn kernels (or 1.5 cups frozen)
½ cup cilantro, torn apart
1 whole medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2T olive oil
11-12 cups of chicken broth
1 156ml (5.5oz) can of tomato paste
1T chili powder
1t ground cumin
Garnishes: fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a large pot. Brown onions and garlic, then add chicken and brown. Add tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, cilantro, corn, and beans, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro sprigs, and cubed avocado or any other garnishes you want. A squeeze of fresh lime is one of the best things you can add to each bowl.