Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup

[ts]
Since we had all those turkeys for our Starry, Starry Night dinner, we had the opportunity to make a lot of turkey stock (and to save a lot of shredded turkey meat).

We've sinced used it for making turkey congee -- especially after finding out an easy way to make congee from leftover rice, courtesy of Kits Chow -- and for this, making Turkey Tortilla Soup.

We've made chicken tortilla soup a lot of times before, using this quickie method.

To recap, we buzz together some chipotle peppers (packed in adobo), tomatoes (fresh or canned) and onions.

Then that mixture goes into a pan to cook until it becomes thick, usually about 15 minutes. (Or less, if you're in a hurry.)



[ts]
We add stock (turkey, this time) and the shredded meat, and let the whole thing simmer for a bit. We adjust the seasoning too (salt and pepper).

We either crisp up some corn tortillas or take the easy way out and use corn tortilla chips. (We like Que Pasa tortilla chips for this purpose.)

Then, it's a mad rush to see if we have any other possible toppings: jalapeño peppers, cilantro, avocado, cheese (we don't have easy access to queso fresco, so we like feta for this purpose), and lime wedges.

On this occasion, we only had cilantro and radishes. Oh, and lime wedges too. (Not pictured.)

This soup could easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and canned beans.



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To serve, place some corn tortilla chips into a bowl and spoon the soup over. Add desired toppings. This is the first time I've added radishes, and I must say, they were really good with the soup!

We made a quick quesadilla with Tex-Mex cheese (our shameful non-secret) to eat alongside. I don't think I'll tire of this.

[eatingclub] Chicken Tortilla Soup
[eatingclub] Pumpkin Congee w/ Pumpkin "Beignets" & Sesame-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Quesadillas we've made before:
Fried Oyster Quesadilla
Sprouted Grain Tortilla with Other Stuff
Black Bean Quesadilla

Kits Chow Quick Congee method: Oyster and Century Egg Congee

[eatingclub] vancouver Mexican
Tacos... then
Tacos... now
Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipían Verde
Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup
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Enchiladas Verdes
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Mexican Ancho Guajillo Chicken
Chipotle Ground Turkey on Flour Tortilla
Tacos... again (July 2009)
Tacos al Pastor with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Tacos with Beer-braised Carnitas Filling
Shredded Beef and Tripe Tacos
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Blueberry Tres Leches Cake
Crab Tostada
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Sausage
Torta (Mexican Sandwich)


Recipe

Quickie Tortilla Soup
Makes 4 servings

8 cups stock (chicken, turkey, vegetable) or water
1-2 chicken breasts (or turkey meat, or canned beans)
optional: more onions, cilantro stems

1 large onion
3 large tomatoes (canned is fine)
3 chipotles packed in adobo
1 teaspoon adobo sauce

corn tortilla chips

Garniture:
minced onions
chopped cilantro
chopped jalapeño peppers
lime wedges
sliced avocado
sliced radishes
queso fresco or feta cheese

Ingredient amounts can be adjusted to suit individual tastes.

Cook chicken and make broth:
In a stockpot, bring water or stock to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. If you wish, add an onion and some cilantro stems. Add the chicken breast(s) and poach in the liquid until cooked through.

Remove cooked chicken from the broth and let cool slightly. Shred chicken meat. Discard onion and cilantro stems, if using.

Set broth aside.

Super Quickie trick:
Simply use chicken broth and buy cooked chicken (like supermarket rotisserie chicken).

Vegetarian option:
Simply use vegetable stock and any canned beans of your choice.

Soup base:
In a food processor, add onion, tomatoes, chipotles and adobo sauce. Process until puréed.

Make the soup:
Heat your stockpot over medium heat and add a little oil. Add puréed mixture and cook until it has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add broth. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then lower the heat. Add chicken and let the whole thing simmer, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning (salt & pepper).

Garniture:
In the meantime, prepare your preferred toppings. Lime wedges and cilantro could be considered the minimum.

To serve:
In your servings bowls, add a little bit of corn tortilla chips, then spoon the soup (with meat) over it. Each person can add the toppings they desire.