Sunday, March 22, 2015
Smoky Turkey and Black Bean Soup
This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not only is it officially Slow Cooking Season, the leaves are crunchy, and the pumpkins are out. Its still too hot, here, to wear bulky sweaters --- but Ive got them pulled out from under-the-bed storage and on the ready.
Todays soup was an inspiration from a recipe my mom printed out from Cooking.com. I liked the idea of using cooked bacon for the smoky flavor, but didnt want to thaw any out and actually cook it -- so I improvised and used Liquid Smoke (and cut out a bunch of fat, too!). I also used fresh instead of deli turkey and omitted the cocoa powder.
The soup I ended up with is perfect. I gobbled (ha! that wasnt even a premeditated turkey reference!) down a bowl and a half before Adam came home with the kids from soccer practice, then sat and ate another full bowl with them at the table. (I didnt want to tell them that I already ate. That would be rude, and Im a very polite person...)
The Ingredients
serves 6 (freezes well!)
1.5 pounds turkey cutlets
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (no need to thaw)
1 cup frozen corn
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (use the whole can; theres no additional salt added)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (the whole can)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 cups chicken broth
(salt to taste if needed at the table)
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didnt pre-brown anything--- this is a complete dump and go recipe, and can be left for a long period of time. Load everything into the cooker---- theres really no need to follow a certain order; its soup. Its all going to get stirred around anyway.
Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours; I cooked ours on low for exactly 8 hours.
Remove turkey cutlets with tongs, and shred the meat completely. Return to the pot and stir well. If desired (I did do this), pulse a few times with a hand-held immersion blender to naturally thicken the broth. If you dont have a hand-held immersion blender, you can remove a cup of the soup and blend it in a traditional blender, then return to the pot and stir to combine.
The Verdict
The smoky flavor really comes through, and makes the house smell absolutely wonderful while its cooking. I liked how the spinach mixed around with the beans and the corn -- my kids didnt try to pick out the spinach at all, but instead happily ate their dinner. I served drop biscuits made from Pamelas gluten free baking mix on the side.
Enjoy your Crocktober! Remember to check out the daily giveaways, and sign up to have them come to your inbox so you never miss out!
past Crocktober favorites:
zesty burger soup
orange beef
Italian Rice
vegetarian tortilla soup
sausage and lentil stew
oreo cheesecake
tex mex potroast
vegetarian stuffed bell peppers
turtle pudding
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