Turkey Poblano Soup is a recipe from my stepmother, Pat -- same source as the Cranberry Jalapeno Bread. It's a creamy but not overly rich soup made with chopped broiled Poblano pepper, chicken broth, corn and turkey. Like tortilla soup, it is thickened with a mix of corn tortillas and flour that you chop in a food processor or mini chopper. This corn & flour mixture is what thickens the soup and makes it creamy. It does have a splash of half & half or milk, but the tortilla mixture does most of the thickening. So this is not a velvety smooth soup, but it's thick and creamy.
Turkey Poblano Soup Notes
This is a day-after-Thanksgiving soup because it's made with turkey, but I don't know why you couldn't use chicken and make it any time of the year. I just associate it with Thanksgiving.
The soup is creamy and rich (but not overly so -- it only has ¼ cup half & half) and not spicy at all. Poblano peppers are mild. For a spicy version, you could up the heat by adding some red pepper or a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
How to Make Turkey Poblano Soup Updates (2023)
Here's a quick rundown of the steps for making it. I hadn't made it in while and during my last round, I noticed my one Poblano pepper wasn't big enough to make ½ cup chopped. To be safe, you should broil 2. You just need enough to make ½ cup chopped. I also added a step of using an immersion blender (or food processor) to puree, and tested to see whether a mini chopper would work for the flour mixture.
- Broil a large Poblano pepper and quick cool it in a heavy duty freezer bag. Peel off the skin and chop. You can do this ahead of time if you wish.
- Put some chopped corn tortillas, a little flour and spices in a food processor and process to make a fine meal.
- In a large pot, cook the onions in a little oil along with the Poblano. Throw in some butter and the corn tortilla mixture and stir to make a roux of sorts.
- Gradually add broth to this mixture, stirring until thick.
- Puree using an immersion blender (or use the food processor).
- Add the chopped turkey (or chicken). Season to taste with salt and pepper if you feel you need to (this is where creative people will start adding more seasonings).
- Finish it off with a small amount of half & half or milk.
More Recipes From People Named Pat
Recipe
Turkey Poblano Soup
Ingredients
- 1-2 large poblano peppers Enough to make ½ cup cooked and chopped
- 4 5-inch corn tortillas, chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ to ½ teaspoon salt**
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (you can get away with 1 if you have to)
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium or regular, plus more if you need to thin it a bit
- ¼ to ½ cup half-and-half or cream
- 1-2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
- Shredded Monterey jack or shredded Mexican style cheese
Instructions
- Wash the poblano(s) 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, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper in bowl of a food processor (or a mini chopper_ and process until mixture is the consistency of very coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
- Saute onion and the ½ cup chopped 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. Note: Once you have your roux, continue to cook it for another minute, pushing it around with a wooden spoon, to help cook out any floury taste.
- Slowly add about 1-2 cups of the broth. Using an immersion blender, puree somewhat. It won't be velvety smooth, but it will thicken a bit. Alternatively, puree in a food processor and then return back to pot.
- Add remaining broth and bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper as necessary.
- Add half and half (or milk & cream) and bring to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat until soup is hot again. Do not let it boil. Also, if you feel like it's too thick you can thin it out with a little more broth.
- Remove from heat and add the turkey. If turkey is cold, keep it over the heat and let it warm the turkey a bit. Spoon into bowls and top each serving with cheese. Update: If you like corn, throw in some fresh or frozen (thawed) corn or corn and pepper mix.
Kim F. says
OMG. Just made this soup today and it is delicious. I made a few alterations since I did not have any leftover thrkey on hand. Instead, I poached two chicken breasts breasts in 12 ounces of beer. I didn't think I chopped up my tortillas well enough so I pureed the soup with my immersion blender before adding the chicken. Super duper good... can't say enough about it. It tastes like chicken enchiladas only better....
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
Great way to use turkey leftovers! I'll have to put a poblano on my grocery list. 🙂 Thanks!
Jancd says
I made your mother-in-law's soup today and it was a great hit. I think it would cure the flu or cold!! I made it exactly by the recipe and is was delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
Amy at thescenefromme says
What a great recipe for my leftover turkey. Sounds delicious! Looks it too!
briarrose says
Looks wonderful. I am a bit of a pepper nut so I loved seeing the poblano up in there. 😉
Louise says
I sometimes make cornbread stuffing with poblanos and toasted pumpkin seeds. That's a nice twist on the dishes too.
Kalynskitchen says
Anna, this sounds like a fantastic soup. I love all the flavors you have going on here.