Turkey Chili Soup with Hominy
This recipe was inspired by a soupy chili I was served at a party. It was lacking in texture and flavor, so I decided to make my own version that is thicker and more flavorful.
This recipe was inspired by a soupy chili I was served at a party. It was lacking in texture and flavor, so I decided to make my own version that is thicker and more flavorful.
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 3 cups beef stock or low-sodium broth
- 1 15 oz can hominy
- cheddar cheese shredded, for serving
- fresh cilantro chopped, for serving
- sour cream for serving
- tortilla chips for serving
- Carbohydrate 7.52237537524234 g
- Cholesterol 73.708760125 mg
- Fat 10.7753692090884 g
- Fiber 1.663030018639 g
- Protein 26.1963503621884 g
- Saturated Fat 2.12715093069791 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (136g)
- Sodium 168.773514737532 mg
- Sugar 5.85934535660334 g
- Trans Fat 1.03127861035822 g
- Calories 234 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until barely softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the turkey, ancho powder, cumin and chipotle powder and season with salt.
- Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has evaporated and the turkey is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and then the tomato paste.
- Add the stock and hominy and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with cheddar, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips.
Ground ancho chile powder carries this entire pot. Without its sweet, smoky heat, the lean turkey base tastes flat. Many iterations of this style rely on heavy tomato purées that drown out subtle aromatics. This version uses dry spices bloomed directly in fat. Adding ground cumin, ancho powder, and chipotle powder straight to the hot oil toasts the fat-soluble flavor compounds before any liquid enters the pan.
Managing Starch and Reduction
Cooking ground turkey requires patience with moisture release. Water escapes the meat cells during the initial five minutes over high heat. The liquid must evaporate completely before the meat can brown in the remaining olive oil. Skipping this step results in gray, steamed protein rather than browned fond. Flour enters the sequence after browning to act as a suspending agent. Whisking all-purpose flour directly into the meat and spice mixture prevents raw flour clumps and thickens the beef stock as it simmers. Tomato paste contributes natural glutamates and additional thickening power, turning a thin broth into a cohesive soup.
- If the soup boils too aggressively, the hominy grains break down and release excess starch, turning the broth cloudy and heavy. Maintain a gentle simmer over moderate heat.
- Test doneness visually by dragging a wooden spoon across the bottom of the saucepan. If the liquid leaves a clear path that fills in slowly, the starch ratio has reached optimal thickness.
- Drain canned hominy thoroughly before adding it to avoid diluting the concentrated beef stock flavor.
