Turkey Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups peanut oil for frying tortilla strips
• 4 corn tortillas, cut in half, then sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• Kosher Salt
• 2 pasilla chilies
• 2 ancho chilies
• 2 whole chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon sauce
• 2 quarts low sodium canned or homemade chicken or turkey broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 whole poblano pepper, seeds and stem removed, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pound leftover turkey meat, shredded by hand into rough 10-inch pieces
• Sliced scallions, sliced cilantro, diced avocado, diced jalapeño and lime slices for serving

Directions

1. Warm the peanut oil in a Dutch oven or wok over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F. Slide in the tortilla strips and fry them, keeping them moving with a metal spider or slotted spatula, until they turn crisp, about 2 minutes. Move them to a plate lined with paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and keep them nearby.
2. Put all the chilis into a medium saucepan, then pour in half of the chicken broth. Let them simmer over medium-high heat until they are fully soft, about 15 minutes. Scrape everything into a blender or the cup for a hand blender, and puree until totally smooth.
3. As the chilis simmer, warm the vegetable oil over high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven until it shimmers. Stir in the onions and poblano pepper, and cook, stirring often, until they soften without taking on color, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin, and keep stirring until the aroma wakes up, about 30 seconds. Pour in the remaining chicken broth. When the chili puree is smooth, stir it in right away.
4. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup up to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Add the turkey meat and let it cook until the broth tastes pulled together, about 5 minutes. Salt it to your taste. Serve it hot, with the tortilla strips, scallions, the cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, and lime wedges passed around at the table.