Southwestern Turkey Soup delights even when the jonquils bloom

Easy to keep falling back into my winter-soup routine with tantalizing recipes such as this one for Southwestern Turkey Soup. Even though the jonquils are blooming and the peach trees are budding in this Texas non-winter event of ours, my insides still enjoy being warmed by this spicy soup that I load up with cheese and black olives and serve with tortilla chips.

Once again I threw in my supply of shredded chicken instead of turkey as the recipe specifies. Beans, tomatoes, and frozen corn load up the dish. The recipe calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper. I went ahead and used the entire 3 tablespoons to make it way-spicy, but the recipe notes that one should adjust for preference. Yes, the soup was so hot-tangy, it made my eyes water a little, so a smaller amount of the peppers would have less added punch and still give the jalapeno flavor.

I may have mentioned before that this is the first recipe book I’ve ever seen that (with each pertinent recipe) contains a warning to wear disposable gloves and to avoid touching the face when you are cutting hot peppers. So glad someone thought to be up-front about this. I’ve certainly learned about this the unfortunate way; just a tiny bit of hot-pepper residue on the hands can burn mightily, especially if you happen to touch an eye. Put on those disposable gloves!

Southwestern Turkey Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can chicken broth

2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used shredded chicken)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 1/2 cups frozen corn (or could use fresh)

optional toppings: sour cream, coarsely crushed tortilla chips, shredded Cheddar cheese, and/or sliced ripe olives

In a large saucepan sauté onion in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Add the turkey, beans, tomatoes, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with sour cream, chips, cheese, and/or olives if desired. Makes 7 servings. (Recipe courtesy tasteofhome.com)