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This leftover tortilla soup with turkey is a vibrant, zesty one-pot meal, with smoky chipotle, fire-roasted tomatoes, sweet corn, and black beans, all in a rich broth topped with all your favorite fixings. It’s the perfect way to use up that Thanksgiving turkey without feeling like you’re eating the same meal twice, and it’s family-approved, too!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This is the ultimate turkey leftover rescue mission — instead of another sad turkey sandwich, you’re getting a completely different flavor profile that feels fresh and exciting. The smoky, spicy Southwestern flavors are miles away from traditional Thanksgiving tastes, so nobody will complain about eating turkey “again.”
- This tortilla turkey soup is a complete meal in one pot with protein, veggies, and carbs all working together. No need to fuss with side dishes or think about what else to serve. Just ladle it into bowls, pile on the toppings, and dinner is done.
- The toppings are EVERYTHING. Creamy avocado, tangy sour cream, sharp cheese, fresh cilantro, and crunchy tortilla chips turn this from a simple soup into an interactive feast. Everyone can customize their bowl exactly how they like it, which makes this a total hit for families with picky eaters.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- The chipotle pepper gives this soup a smoky kick, but you control the spice. Start with ½ teaspoon and taste before adding more — you can always add heat, but you can’t take it away. If you’re cooking for sensitive palates, cut the chipotle back to ¼ teaspoon or skip it entirely and let people add hot sauce at the table.
- Because you’re using canned tomatoes, store-bought broth, and leftover turkey (which might have been seasoned differently), salt levels can vary wildly. Always taste the soup right before serving and adjust with salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lime juice. That final tweak makes the difference between “pretty good” and “why didn’t I make a double batch?”
- The contrast between piping hot soup and cool, crisp toppings is what makes tortilla soup so satisfying. Cut your avocado right before serving to prevent browning, and make sure your cheese is freshly shredded (pre-shredded doesn’t melt as beautifully).
Recipe Variations
Make it with Chicken: If you still want to make this when it’s not during holiday time, you can use 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand. The flavor profile works beautifully with chicken, too.
Bump Up the Veggies: Add diced bell peppers (any color) with the onions, or stir in a handful of fresh spinach or kale in the last 2 minutes of cooking for extra nutrition.
Make it Creamy: Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half right before serving for a richer, creamier version. You can also add a few tablespoons of cream cheese for tang.
Go Full Tex-Mex: Add 1 teaspoon chili powder along with the other spices, and top with crushed Fritos instead of tortilla chips for that authentic Tex-Mex diner vibe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turkey breast will give you a leaner soup, while dark meat adds more richness and stays extra moist. But honestly, whatever leftover turkey you have will be delicious. I usually just grab whatever’s easiest to pull off the carcass.
Reduce or omit the chipotle pepper entirely, use a mild jalapeño (or skip it), and let people add hot sauce to their individual bowls if they want more heat. The soup will still have tons of flavor from the cumin, oregano, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
Sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in a skillet first (don’t skip this step — it’s where the flavor develops), then transfer everything to your slow cooker with the remaining ingredients except the turkey. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. Add the turkey in the last 30 minutes just to warm it through.
Use rotisserie chicken, leftover baked chicken, or even add raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the soup in the simmering stage (add them before the beans and corn, let them cook for 12 to 15 minutes until they reach 165°F, then remove, shred, and return to the pot).
More Tasty Soup Recipes
- ​Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
- Marry Me Chicken Soup
- Homemade Cream of Celery Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Cajun Shrimp Bisque
- Bacon Ramen
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven (4-quart or larger)
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- ladle
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 14 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup black beans drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked turkey
Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
- Sliced avocado
- Crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add 1 roughly chopped onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add 3 to 4 cloves roughly chopped garlic and 1 roughly chopped jalapeño pepper (seeds and stem removed) to the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Season with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper. Stir to toast the spices for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles (with their juices) and 3 cups chicken stock. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in ¾ cup drained and rinsed black beans, ¾ cup frozen corn, and 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked turkey.
- Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until the turkey is warmed through and the corn is tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, sliced green onions, sliced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips or strips.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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