Fast & Easy Turkey Tortilla Soup

Fast & Easy Turkey Tortilla Soup

Serves 4 as a first course. Serves 2 as a meal.

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

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.

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.

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

Note:

• 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.