Turkey Tortilla Soup

The first time I had tortilla soup was when I went to pick up one of my friends from the airport. It was over a 3 hour drive back home and we wanted to refuel before we hit the road, so we went to a restaurant to grab a bite of food. The tortilla soup instantly grabbed my attention but I have never had tortilla soup before so I was not sure if I would like it or not. After one bite I fell in love. Now, this doesn't really taste like the soup from the restaurant but I don't care because it was delicious! There are no chilies or enchilada sauce nothing really mexican other than the tortilla crisps. I think the garnishes make the dish, they really add more flavor and depth. I will definitely be keeping this recipe for future thanksgiving left overs. Oh and it also freezes well, so make a full batch and freeze some for another quick meal. We ended up with enough leftovers for two more dinners.

• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus 1-1/2 to 2 cups for frying the tortillas
• 1 small finely diced yellow onion
• 1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
  
• 2 qts (8 cups) chicken broth
• Kosher salt
• 3 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 3 c. shredded or medium-diced leftover turkey
• 1 c. cooked fresh corn kernels (or substitute thawed frozen corn)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Garnish

• 1/2 medium ripe avocado, diced
• 1/4 c. crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
• 2 Tbs. sour cream, or to taste
  
• 1/2 lime, cut into wedges

1. Heat the 1 Tbs. oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until softened and just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the onions to a crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients but not the garnishes. Put crock pot on low and cook for 6 hours.
   
3. When ready to eat make the tortilla strips. Line a plate or tray with two layers of paper towels. Pour 1 inch of vegetable oil into a small, high-sided saucepan (a 6-inch-diameter pan needs about 1-1/2 cups of oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until a tortilla strip sizzles immediately when dipped into the oil. Add 8 to 10 tortilla strips , fry until the bubbling subsides and the strips are crisp and very lightly browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to the paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with a little salt while they’re still hot. Repeat with the remaining strips.
4. Garnish soup with the avocado, cheese, dollop of sour cream, and big squeezes of lime juice. Serve immediately.

This post is submitted in
Wednesday Blog Hop