Turkey Poblano Soup

Thanks to my stepmother, who told me about this soup, one of the standard items on my Thanksgiving shopping list is a poblano pepper. The combination of turkey and poblano in soup form is the absolute perfect post-Thanksgiving Day lunch. This soup is creamy, rich (but not overly so — it only has 1/4 cup half & half) and not spicy at all, since poblano peppers are mild. For a spicy version, you could up the heat by adding a hotter chile pepper, but I keep the soup pretty mild for Fuzz.

Turkey Poblano Soup

1 poblano pepper
4 corn tortillas ( 5 or 6 inches across), chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon salt**
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, finally
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth (you can use low sodium or regular and adjust salt)
1/2 cup half-and-half or 1/4 each milk and cream
1-2 cups chopped cooked turkey
Shredded Monterey jack or shredded Mexican style cheese

Wash the poblano and remove stems and seeds. Broil about 5 inches from heat or until blistered and soft. Quickly put in a zipper bag then seal and let cool. Remove from bag, peel of the skin and chop to make ½ cup.

Combine chopped tortillas, flour, chili powder, cumin, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in bowl of a food processor and process until mixture is the consistency of very coarse cornmeal. Set aside.

Saute onion and the 1/2 cup poblano in a large pot until onions are tender. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add butter and let it melt. Add tortilla-flour mixture to the pot and mix to form a roux. Slowly add the broth (about 1 cup at a time), stirring to make a thick soup. Cook 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. At this point, taste and adjust salt if necessary. Add half and half (or milk & cream) and bring to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat until soup is hot. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and add the turkey. Spoon into bowls and top each serving with cheese.

Makes about 4 servings

I didn’t put the exact amount of salt because this varies with the broth. If you use low sodium broth, you may need up to ½ teaspoon. If your broth is salted, you’ll only need a pinch. Start with 1/8 teaspoon and adjust salt as necessary.

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