Southwestern Turkey Soup (Printable)

Tex-Mex turkey soup with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Hearty, flavorful, and ready in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels, drained
06 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
08 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
09 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced, optional
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste

→ Liquids

11 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices and Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
19 - Juice of 1 lime
20 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and red bell pepper; sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and jalapeño if using; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute to bloom spices.
04 - Mix in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Add diced tomatoes with juices, diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, corn, and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil.
06 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in turkey and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
07 - Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot with desired garnishes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent all day tending to it.
  • The flavor profile keeps surprising your palate with cumin, smoked paprika, and lime working in perfect harmony.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and have something warming waiting for you later.
02 -
  • Drain and rinse your canned beans and corn no matter how rushed you are, it changes the texture and clarity of the broth completely.
  • Don't skip toasting the spices after the garlic step, that one minute of stirring is what separates good soup from restaurant-quality soup.
03 -
  • If your broth tastes too salty, a pinch of sugar actually balances it out better than adding more water and diluting everything else.
  • Juice your lime right into the pot rather than squeezing it over the top, the acid cooks into the broth and changes the entire character of the soup in the best possible way.
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