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turkey tortilla soup

Here’s an unusual way to use up leftover Christmas turkey – a Mexican-influenced soup garnished with baked tortillas and other tasty bits and bobs.

Ingredients

    • 500g/1lb 2oz ripe tomatoes
    • ½ head garlic cloves, unpeeled
    • 2 dried ancho chillies
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
    • 1 red pepper, diced
    • 1 green pepper, diced
    • 2 sticks celery, sliced
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • large sprig thyme
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • small bunch coriander, stems and leaves separated
    • 1.25 litres/2 pints turkey stock
    • 250g/9oz cooked black beans
    • 250g/9oz sweetcorn
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 300g/10½oz leftover turkey meat, cut into strips
    • 1 lime, juice only (optional)
    • 6-8 corn tortillas, cut into wedges or strips
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 avocados, peeled, stones removed, diced
    • 1 lime, juice only
    • salt, to taste
    • 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced
    • 100g/3½oz grated hard cheese

Directions

  1. First prepare the tomatoes. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until hot, then add the tomatoes, garlic and dried chillies. Dry fry, shaking the pan regularly until the tomatoes are starting to blacken.
  2. Remove the chilli when it starts to smell aromatic and put it in a bowl. Pour over some freshly boiled water and leave to soften.
  3. Tip the tomatoes into a food processor or blender. Peel the garlic cloves and add these too, then drain the chilli from its soaking water and add this. Blend until smooth.
  4. While you are dry roasting the tomatoes, heat the olive oil in a large casserole or saucepan. Add the onions, pepper and celery. Fry on a medium heat until starting to caramelise around the edges – this should take between 10-15 minutes.
  5. Add the cumin, thyme, bay leaves and oregano. Finely chop the coriander stems and add these too.
  6. Add the stock and reserved tomato mixture to the saucepan, along with the black beans and sweetcorn. Season well with salt and pepper, then bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  7. Add the cooked turkey to the soup and leave to simmer while you prepare the garnishes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Toss the tortilla pieces in the oil and arrange over a couple of baking trays. Leave in the oven until crisp.
  9. Toss the avocado in the lime juice and season well with salt.
  10. Taste the soup and add a little lime juice if you think it needs it. Serve the soup garnished with the avocado, coriander leaves, spring onions, cheese and tortilla pieces.