Y’all. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that this is the most delicious, savory, satisfying stew to ever be made from Thanksgiving leftovers. I just might roast another turkey so that I can have more of this stew for weeks to come. Smokey, a little spicy, and balanced out with velvety sweet potato and hominy. This was a big hit with my family and sadly, its now all gone because I just polished off the last bowl for lunch. This would be a great way to prepare just about any game bird our poultry, you could use duck, pheasant, or even ground turkey if you aren’t using a leftover roasted bird. Per usual, I just sort of made it up as I went along so these measurements aren’t exact. I will make it again soon and re-check.…so bear with me.
What you need:
1 1/2-2 lbs of roasted light and dark turkey meat, chopped into small pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 slices of good bacon, chopped into 1 inch slices
1 cup of hatch green chiles (I like to buy the jars of Zia green chiles)
1 cup peeled and chopped fresh tomatillos and 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (subbing canned is fine, I just had these on hand)
1 cup sweet potato puree (or I had one leftover roasted sweet potato from Thanksgiving that I mashed and dumped in the pot)
1 uncooked peeled and chopped sweet potato
Roughly 8 cups of chicken stock
1 can of hominy, drained
Begin by sautéing the onion, carrot, pepper, and bacon in a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. After the bacon is crispy and the veggies have softened add in the dried oregano and tomatoes and tomatillos. Let the tomatoes break down and scrape up any brown bits from the bacon and veggies that are on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the hatch chiles and other spices. When the aromas of the spices have released and its very fragrant add the turkey and then the stock one cup at a time keeping track of how soupy it is. Now stir in the sweet potato puree and diced sweet potatoes. Add another pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. After it has boiled for a minute or two reduce to simmer and stir occasionally for at least 30 minutes but preferably 1-2 hours. Add the hominy when you have reached the simmering stage of the soup. Soup is always better the longer it cooks. Stir occasionally until you are ready to eat. This is great on its own but a dollop of sour cream and sliced corn bread are an awesome addition! Enjoy : ).
