Recipe: Tortilla Turkey Soup

One of the joys of Thanksgiving is, of course, the leftovers. In addition to pie for breakfast, one of my own favorite day-after traditions is turkey soup. I have memories of sitting at the kitchen table late into the day, watching my father clean the bird’s carcass of every last ounce of meat (meat that was later tossed into the soup pot or piled between two slabs of bread for sandwiches) before cooking up the bones for stock.

If you’re looking for a new take on turkey soup this year, give this recipe from Soup Night a try. Make your own turkey stock or use the canned chicken variety. Either way, it’s easy to make ahead of time, and simple to adapt, if feeding a crowd.

Photo © Lara Ferroni

Tortilla Turkey Soup

Recipe from Grace Martin, Aurora, Illinois

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 (11-ounce) can whole-kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1 cup picante sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, rice, and cumin; bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is almost tender. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Stir in the turkey, corn, picante sauce, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, and the lime juice. Simmer until the soup is warmed through and the rice is completely tender.
3. Meanwhile, cut the tortillas into thin strips, place the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet, and spray with cooking spray. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Serve the soup topped with tortilla strips, sour cream, and the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (1 teaspoon per serving).

Make ahead? Make the soup (steps 1 and 2); refrigerate. Make the tortilla crisps; store in an airtight container.

For large crowds: As long as you have the turkey, you can multiply this as much as you like.

Recipe excerpted from Soup Night © 2013 by Maggie Stuckey. Photo © Lara Ferroni. All Rights Reserved.