Are you recovering from turkey overload after a hearty Thanksgiving meal, but wondering what to do with your leftover turkey? Never fear, I have a recipe for you, spicy turkey soup.
This is a totally delicious soup, high on the spicy scale, and nicely comforting. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of diced cooked turkey and serves four.
For some reason I appear to be stuck on creating spicy dishes of late, even the dishes I don’t share with you guys have a spicy bent. I have no idea why, it must be something to do with the temperature change here in New York.
Let me tell you, this spicy turkey soup is great. It’s a sort of Asia meets the Caribbean, using ingredients such as ginger, curry powder, coriander, scotch bonnet, lime and coconut milk. It’s a soup with a bunch of flavors that can satisfy hunger as well as a yearning for something spicy.
Spicy soups are totally in my wheelhouse, especially when it’s cold outside. In the winter, when it’s snowing you’ll find me in the kitchen making something comforting to slurp on. Whenever possible, I make large batches of the stuff, and pop portions of whatever soup I’ve made in the freezer for a later date.
Soup saved in the freezer for another time is dinner time made easy – right?
You can dial down the spiciness if you like, although I cannot imagine why you would do that. But if you prefer your spicy a little tempered, then you should omit the scotch bonnet. Scotch bonnet chilies are fiery hot and not ideal for someone who cannot tolerate spicy heat. Fear not though, dialing down the heat in this dish does not take away from the wonderful flavors that give this dish such character. If you try this recipe, you’re in for a treat no matter how much spicy heat you include.
Spicy Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup carrots diced small
- 1 cup yellow onions diced small
- 1 tbsp thyme removed from stalks
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 inch ginger quartered
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 1/2 cups skinless cooked diced turkey
- 1 medium carrot cut into very thin strips
- 2 tbsp scotch bonnet sliced thin
- 1/4 cup cilantro cut away long stalks
Equipment & Utensils
- Large saucepan
- Blender
- Tool to create thin carrot strips - mandolin julienne peeler or grater
Instructions
- Heat grapeseed oil on medium heat in saucepan, then add carrots and celery and cook for 5 min.
- Keep an eye on the pan, you don't want the celery and carrots to start to brown.
- Add onions and cook for another 5 mins. Again, making sure the ingredients do not begin to brown. Lower heat if necessary.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth, mix, and once the liquid begins to bubble, lower heat to low.
- Cover pan and allow to simmer for 10 mins.
- Taste to make sure flavors are combined, then drain vegetable mix and collect liquid for the base of the soup.
- Discard cooked vegetables.
- Once the liquid has cooled enough to transfer to a blender, pour into blender jug.
- Add ginger, curry powder, coriander, garlic, lime juice to blender and blend on high until all ingredients have become pureed.
- Pour puree back into saucepan and place on medium heat.
- Add, 2 cups of chicken broth, coconut milk, black pepper and 1/2 of tsp salt and mix together.
- Add turkey, then once liquid begins to bubble, lower heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 10 mins.
- Once you are able to taste the flavor of the turkey in the soup base, add carrot and scotch bonnet and 1/4 tsp of salt, if salt is needed, and stir to combine.
- Allow to simmer for a further 5 mins.
- When ready to serve, divide among four bowls and add a few sprigs of cilantro to each.
