Turkey Sopa di Lima

There’s nothing like turkey broth for creating delicious soups.  This past Thanksgiving my family sent me home with the carcass and drippings from a 22-pound bird.  I was in heaven.  Immediately I thought of my late husband, Ed, who thought nothing of flying home with turkey bones in his luggage so that he could make one of his famous soups once back in our New York City kitchen.  So, I guess you could say that spending time at the stove the day after Thanksgiving was a Proustian experience. Such vivid, mouth-watering recollections of my favorite soup-meister and his ladles of masterful soups.  

I started with the carcass which so massive that the heavy-duty Chinese cleaver was put into action to cut the bird into smaller pieces. Into the stock pot went the bones, next a generous amount of water, splash of white wine, two bay leaves, and several pepper corn. Finally, the contents of a quart-size plastic bag filled with vegetable trimmings (accumulated and frozen) were added for an extra layer of flavoring. After two hours of slow simmering the “ultimate” turkey broth was ready for action.

The New York Times recently posted a recipe for Turkey Soup with Lime and Chile which I adapted using a few ideas gleaned from my favorite Mexican cookbooks. The result? A divinely delicious combo of vibrant and spicy Mexican flavors along with the wholesome addition of America’s quintessential savory leftover, Thanksgiving turkey!

 Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons EVOO

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 medium green pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 cup fresh tomato, chopped

½ teaspoon powered cumin

Healthy pinch dried oregano

2 sprigs fresh cilantro

2 cups water

5 cups turkey broth

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups cooked turkey, shredded

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 corn tortillas, cut in ½ inch strips

6 limes (4 juiced and 2 thinly sliced)

1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

Cooking Instructions:

1.       In a large saucepan or heavy bottom soup pot, sauté onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until softened, approximately five minutes.  Add garlic, green pepper and tomatoes and stir.

2.      Immediately add spices and fresh cilantro and again stir.  Add water and cook for ten minutes over medium heat.

3.      Add turkey broth and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer mixture for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed.

4.      While soup is simmering, prepare the tortilla strips: Add vegetable oil to a skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot and starts to form waves add sliced tortillas and fry until golden brown on the edges.  Remove strips with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.

5.      Remove cilantro sprigs from soup and add shredded turkey. Stir thoroughly, then simmer for three minutes to warm up the turkey.  Ladle soup into six bowls.  Then, garnish with sliced limes and jalapeños and right before serving top with crispy tortilla strips.

Serves: Six

Wine suggestio0ns:  Forgo the wine and instead serve chilled Mexican beer! Look for Corona, Modelo or Dos Equis.