A Post Thanksgiving “sopa De Tortilla”

14 steps · 2h 30m total

1. 01

   Drizzle Olive Oil

   Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a large stock pot.
2. 02

   Start the Turkey Stock

   Add the quartered onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 stalks of celery to the pot, along with the turkey breast. Peel two carrots, adding the peels to the pot. Add the peeled carrots and 2 more celery stalks to the pot as well. Set aside the remaining two carrots and 2 celery stalks for later use in the soup.
3. 03

   Prep the Cilantro

   Cut the stems off your cilantro bunch, reserving the leaves for garnish.
4. 04

   Add Cilantro Stems

   Add the cilantro stems to the stock pot.
5. 05

   Simmer the Stock

   Fill the pot with water until it's about three-quarters full. Cover and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for at least 1 hour, but ideally 2 hours, to develop a rich stock. You'll want to keep an eye on the liquid level; the stock shouldn't reduce to less than one-quarter of the pot's original volume.

   Hold off on adding salt for now. You can season once the stock has reduced and the flavors have concentrated.

6. 06

   Remove Turkey

   Carefully remove the turkey breast from the stock. Once it's cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred or dice it. Set the meat aside for the soup and discard the bone.
7. 07

   Strain the Stock

   Strain the stock through a colander into another stock pot, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
8. 08

   Discard Solids

   Discard the spent vegetables and cilantro stems from the colander.
9. 09

   Prep Stock and Puree

   Measure out the stock you'll need for the soup — about 1 to 2 cups per guest. If you have extra, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for future use. This is a great way to have homemade stock on hand.

   For the soup base, combine 1 (8-ounce) can of organic stewed tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a blender. Add the roasted poblano pepper (see the note at the end of the recipe for how to roast it) and puree until smooth. Set this mixture aside.

10. 10

    Add Carrots

    Add the 2 cubed carrots (the ones you reserved earlier) to the stock.
11. 11

    Add Celery

    Add the 2 chopped celery stalks (also reserved) to the stock.
12. 12

    Cook Vegetables

    Cover the pot and bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are tender when pierced with a fork.
13. 13

    Stir in Puree

    Gradually stir the pureed pepper-tomato mixture into the broth, adding it in 1/4-cup increments.
14. 14

    Finish and Serve

    Stir in about 1/3 cup of the reserved turkey meat for every cup of stock you're using, and let it simmer gently to warm through. Taste the soup and adjust for salt, then finish with a pinch of ground cumin.

    Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a little extra turkey meat to each serving, then top with fried corn tortilla strips or good quality store-bought tortilla chips. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a few cubes of avocado.

    *To roast the poblano pepper: You can do this either directly over a stove burner or under your oven's broiler. Cook until the skin is completely charred and blistered, and the pepper feels tender. Once cooled, peel away the charred skin, remove the stem, and devein the pepper before pureeing.