An interesting solution to the leftover Thanksgiving turkey dilemma. My 2 1/2 year old daughter helped me make it this year. I like to serve it with warm corn bread.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

turkey

vegetable broth

(28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

(4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

onion, chopped

garlic, crushed

lime juice

cayenne pepper

cumin

salt and pepper

avocado

cilantro

Monterey Jack cheese

In a large pot over medium heat, combine turkey, broth, canned tomatoes, green chiles, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Season with cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.


Stir in avocado and cilantro, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Spoon into serving bowls, and top with shredded cheese.


As written, I didn't like this recipe much, but thought it had potential.  So...  I doctored it quite a bit and it turns out to be amazing.  I took it to work today and everyone went wild and requested the recipe.  I put the turkey, broth (I used turkey stock left over from T'giving), onion, a can of black beans, a can of corn, one can of chopped tomatoes, one can of Rotel tomatoes with chilis, FOUR cloves of garlic minced, the juice of one entire lime, and seasonings as written in my crock pot on low.  Eight hours later I returned from work and added about a half cup chopped fresh cilantro, two cups of shredded colby-jack cheese, and a cup of sour cream.  Stirred and let it heat on high for about thirty minutes.  Then I crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl, ladled the soup over, and put more grated cheese on top.  TO DIE FOR!  Tastes like Chipotle in a bowl.  Seriously good.  Doesn't look that pretty but incredibly tasty.  I gave the recipe five stars as written to keep the ratings high so people would experiment with this FABULOUS soup!  Good luck!

I made a couple changes just for what I had on hand. I had four large turkey drumsticks that I bought on the cheap, so I cooked them down and pieced them out and used the broth (that I flavored up with onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika and oregano) that I made in this soup. I didn't have whole peeled tomatoes but I did have fire-roasted tomatoes, so I used that. I upped the spices quite a bit and threw in two chopped red bell pepper when I sauteed the onion and garlic. It's a great way to use turkey on the cheap, which I really appreciate and this soup as a whole is pretty low-cal, if you lighten up on your cheese sprinkling hand. Plus, it's quick, even making my own broth. After I had the broth made, it literally took me less than a half hour to pull this soup together. But, you might need more spice. I like my soups really kickin', so I just spiced away. After taste testing, I think it needs something else. I can't put my finger on it. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Doug. NOTE: And for all of you who are like me and buy turkey drumsticks for the cheap meat, four large is exactly enough for a pot of this soup!

Excellent soup! My family loved it. I added half a can of corn(rinsed) and half a can of pinto beans(rinsed) for that authentic southwestern taste. I topped with extra sharp cheddar and jack and fresh cilantro. Also I had some french bread for Dipping. (My three year old loved doing that) Or you could serve it with crispy tortilla strips. (that's how my husband likes it.Also remember to keep stirring this as some of the solids may stick to the bottom. Good recipe thanks.

I modified a bit because I like more depth in my soup and used chicken instead of turkey (what I had available).  I sauteed the onion and garlic in the oil first before adding stewed tomatoes along with the fresh romas.  I also added corn and black beans.  I must say I enjoyed adding the lime it brightened up the soup but I disliked the chopped avocado, I love avocadoes but the flavors of the soup made them taste a little strange. I prefer topping the soup with Guacamole instead.

I added a can of drained corn and used several tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro and omitted the avocado. Children may find it a bit spicy for them. Quick & easy.

This soup was excellent.  I used Mexican style stewed tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes.  I also put all of the ingredients in a crock pot, turned on high and let it cook for three and a half hours.  Warm corn bread was a perfect additon to the soup!  It was so easy!

Wonderful recipe to customize to a family's individual tastes and can't go wrong doing so. Great way to use up leftover turkey after the holidays especially when there is a nip in the air. I did slow boil the turkey carcass and used the broth as it gave it more depth of flavor with the seasonings etc. otherwise followed the directions. Thanks to alleviating turkey burnout Doug Matthews aka Respect the Bird blogger!:)

This tasted great after previously suggested changes were made to the recipe.  Most important, I would fry the garlic and onion in oil or butter first.  I used 2 cloves of garlic and 1/4 tsp of cayenne and added both black beans and corn. I thickened it with potato flakes and crushed corn chips into it.  The sour cream gave it a strange color, maybe it would work better if it had cooled down a bit.  This tastes even better the next day.

Good. I added strips of 4 corn tortillas and cooked for an additional 20 minutes. Didn't have avocado.

Turn leftover Thanksgiving turkey into a deliciously different soup with some kick.

southwestern turkey soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

Cost: $4.93 /serving

Author : Doug Matthews

Ingredients

Instructions

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