Recipe: Turkey Tortilla Soup (2024)

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Vanessa Barrington

Vanessa Barrington

Vanessa Barrington is a PR and marketing consultant, writer, cookbook author, and cook, based in San Francisco, CA. She wrote for The Kitchn in 2006 & 2007. Her latest cookbook is DIY Delicious: Recipes and Ideas for Simple Food from Scratch.

updated Nov 20, 2019

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Recipe: Turkey Tortilla Soup (1)

Serves2 to 4

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Recipe: Turkey Tortilla Soup (2)

Remember Thanksgiving? That little holiday just a couple months ago? I hope that you ended the holiday season with a treasure trove of turkey stock and leftovers in your freezer, because if you did, I have a recipe for you today that you can have ready in just a few minutes. No turkey treasure? That’s OK — chicken broth will do fine.

The broth has the warmth of pureed chilies and garlic, 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 weekend shopping and it can be thrown together in a snap.

Tester’s Notes

This is an oldie but a goodie recipe from Vanessa Barrington, one of our earliest writers and recipe developers here at The Kitchn. Vanessa writes warm, practical recipes, often influenced by her home in California. This recipe is a perfect example of her style: it’s quite literally a 15-minute meal, provided you have everything on hand. The soup has a Mexican flair, spiced up with smoky chilies, but the ease and relaxation feel all California to me.

This soup is of course the time to to pull out your frozen stash of liquid gold, otherwise known as turkey stock. (I feel strongly about turkey stock; I think it’s the primary reason turkeys were put upon this good earth.) I have many quarts of turkey stock in the freezer, made after my Thanksgiving meal. I also saved a few cups of chopped turkey breast, intending it for a soup like this or a casserole. The soup is the perfect use for admittedly tough and slightly freezer-burnt cooked turkey; the broth warms and moistens it, bringing it back to real deliciousness.

If you don’t have a freezer full of turkey stock, no problem. Use the best store-bought turkey or chicken stock you can get your hands on, or homemade chicken broth. Chopped cooked turkey breast works fine in the soup, or leftover bits of roast chicken.

In fact this soup is really a collection of leftovers: freezer treasures, half an avocado for garnish, the end of a bunch of cilantro, and the last crushed pieces of a bag of tortilla chips. But does it look like leftovers? No way, and it doesn’t taste like leftovers either.

Enjoy!

Faith, January 2014

Comments

Fast & Easy Turkey Tortilla Soup

Serves 2 to 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 4 cups homemade turkey broth (or chicken broth)
  • 2

    large garlic cloves

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or homemade chili puree (see below)
  • 2

    small carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded turkey or chicken meat
  • 1

    lime, juiced

  • Salt and pepper to taste

To garnish:

  • Diced avocado
  • Crumbled tortilla chips
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • Lime wedges
  • Crumbled queso fresco

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat the broth until simmering. While it is warming, blend the garlic with 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle chiles and their sauce in a food processor or mortar and pestle until they form a paste. See note below on spiciness, and check heat level with 1/2 tablespoon before adding it all.

  2. Whisk this paste into the broth, add the carrots and simmer until carrots are soft, but still retain a bit of crispness, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the turkey along with the lime juice and simmer until the meat is warmed through.

  3. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately with garnishes.

Recipe Notes

  • This is a spicy soup! If you are averse to spicy food, use half a tablespoon of the pureed chiles and taste the soup first before adding the rest.
  • The leftover chiles in adobo can be thrown into a plastic bag or freezer container and frozen.
  • Tomato Variation: If you have them in the cupboard, try adding a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes along with the turkey. This makes a fun variation on the basic recipe.

Homemade Chile Puree

For chili purée: Soak 2 to 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 two months.

Updated from recipe originally published November 2006.

Filed in:

easy

low-carb

mexican

quick

soup

winter

Recipe: Turkey Tortilla Soup (2024)

FAQs

What can I use to thicken my tortilla soup? ›

Incorporate Cornstarch

Cornstarch is another popular thickening agent that can be easily added to your chicken tortilla soup. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water to create a slurry.

How do you make bland turkey soup taste better? ›

You can add more herbs and different spices to add more flavor to turkey soup, but sometimes a bit of salt is all you need. The other clincher is cooking the carcass low and slow to get as much flavor from the roast turkey as possible. Try sauteeing your vegetables in a bit of olive oil before adding to the soup.

Why is turkey soup good for you? ›

The benefits of bone broth go beyond its flavor. It is full of collagen and gelatin which are great for hair, nail and skin health as well as healthy joints. It's also full of nutrients that can contribute to improved gut and immune system health.

What is sopa de tortilla made of? ›

Traditional / "Sopa Azteca"

Traditional tortilla soup is made of fried corn tortilla pieces, submerged into a broth of tomato, garlic, onion, and epazote. It is served with pieces of pasilla chiles, chicharrón, avocado, queso panela, lime, and Mexican crema.

Is it better to thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

How do you make soup creamier and thicker? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  1. Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  2. Add cream or yogurt. ...
  3. Add flour or cornflour. ...
  4. Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  5. Blend in bread. ...
  6. Add lentils or rice.

How do you add depth of flavor to soup? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

What seasoning makes soup taste better? ›

Herbs de Provence is a spice blend that will help you get a mellow, herbaceous flavor in your broth. Beef broth is extremely flavorful as is, but you can certainly dress it up with some spices. Try adding cinnamon sticks, cloves, whole coriander and star anise, which recreate the flavor of pho.

Why is my turkey soup so bland? ›

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

Is it OK to eat ground turkey everyday? ›

The bottom line is yes—it is okay to include ground turkey in your diet regularly, though as with any food, it's crucial to eat it in moderation and variety in your food choices. Eating a diverse range of nutrient sources helps ensure you obtain all of the essential nutrients needed for enhancing overall health.

Is turkey good for high blood pressure? ›

"Generally, all processed meat products, including turkey, contribute a significant amount of sodium," she said. Higher sodium contributes to high blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular events.

What is the healthiest soup to eat why? ›

Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. Vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and green peas. The combined nutrition of each vegetable adds a great number of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Potatoes are a good source of potassium and carrots provide beta carotene.

What is a Mexican dish of filled tortilla called? ›

Taco – A crispy, fried tortilla shaped to contain a filling. Combinations are endless such as beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, seafood, beans, avocado, tomatoes, onion, and lettuce. Usually eaten with guacamole.

What is the red liquid they dip tortillas in? ›

Simply dip a corn tortilla in the richly-flavored birria broth, place it on a hot skillet and fill it with birria beef and your favorite Mexican cheese, fold and fry until the cheese has melted and the birria taco shell is nice and crispy, then serve the quesatacos up nice and warm with an extra bowl of the warm birria ...

What is a Mexican tortilla dish called? ›

Taco. A taco is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of a lightly fried corn tortilla that is filled with meat. Carne asada, chicken, chorizo, and fish are all common fillings.

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

We'll break down the best thickeners to use for any variety of soup you wish to make.
  • Add thickness with a flour slurry. ...
  • Cornstarch should be your thickener of choice. ...
  • Red beans or lentils can thicken a pureed soup. ...
  • Bring the magic of risotto with arborio rice. ...
  • Use pasta starch in a couple of different ways.
Jun 16, 2023

What can you use instead of flour to thicken soup? ›

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

What can I use to thicken soup besides flour? ›

Thicken the soup's liquid by:
  1. concentrating the liquid ingredients by evaporation.
  2. adding corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot.
  3. use a roux, made of liquid fat and some kind of flour.
  4. use gelatin, agar, or collagen (if the soup is consumed cool enough)
Apr 19, 2021

What can I use to thicken soup instead of cornstarch? ›

Here are five of the best cornstarch substitutes for all your thickening needs.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Yep, that's right — all-purpose flour is a very stable thickener. ...
  • Arrowroot Powder. ...
  • Potato Starch. ...
  • Rice Flour. ...
  • Tapioca Starch.
Jun 23, 2023

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