Sopa de Lima

 

 

AKA Lime Soup.    Do NOT run away!

 

This awesome soup is a speciality in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.  First time I heard of it I turned up my nose but tried it anyway.  YUMMY!!

 

This takes a while to make but is well worth the effort, it freezes well and is definately hearty enough for our colder climates.  I will add my comments as to how to speed things up and also where I have 'Americanized' the recipe.   For example, you would not see cheddar cheese as a condiment in Mexico but if you want it here, it works. 

 

Broth

 

 

 

In large stock pot add the carcus of one deli bought chicken, meat removed, shredded,  and saved for later.

 

Add:

1 onion quartered

1 rub celery quartered

2 peeled carrot quartered

1 head of garlic, cut in half (no need to peel each clove)

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

 

Cover with water (minimum of 10 cups), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1.5-2 hours.   Strain out the carcus and vegetables, toss.  Return strained broth to stock pot and set aside. 

 

(or simply use 2 quarts of prepared chicken stock)

 

Soup

1 Medium sized sweet onion, chopped

1 Carrot, peeled and chopped (this is the American addition)

1 Rib celery chopped (another American addition)

2 Cloves garlic, chopped

1 Serrano chili, deveined, seeded and then minced

 

In frying pan saute vegetables above until tender but not mushy.  (approximately 5 minutes)

 

Add:

1 Can chopped tomatoes (15 oz)

1 4 oz can chopped green chilis

1 Tsp ground cumin

1 Tsp to 1 Tbsp Chipotle chili powder (adjusted for taste)

1 Tbsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)

1 tsp ground achiote (Mexican section of store- if you can't find it, don't worry about it)

 

When warm add to broth in stock pot with the chicken and the juice of 4 fresh limes.

 

Serve with:

 

Chopped cilantro

Shredded cheddar cheese

Lime slices

Chopped avocado

Lime wedges

Fried corn torilla strips  (Corn tortillas cut in strips and fried in 2 inches of hot oil until crisp- or simply pick up a bag of plain Tostitos and crush over soup in place of crackers)

 

These are simply placed on top of a bowl of soup.

 

This soup is SOOOO good and I have yet to meet someone that does not like it even though they had reservations when heard there was lime in it.  Just thinking about it reminds me of Mexico.

 



Thai Turkey Lettuce Boats

 

 

Easy, tasty, healthy, very fast yet likely a better warm weather choice.  Even Tim, "Mr. Potato" loves these...

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
3 chopped green onions including greens
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce (can be found in asian section of store)
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce (red chili sauce-in asian section of store)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Garnishes
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts
Chopped fresh cilantro

Washed and dried hearts of romaine lettuce

Cook ground turkey until browned, drain.  Add the remainder of the ingredients through the red pepper to the cooked turkey and stir until hot (approximately 4 minutes)

Place mixture on lettuce leaves and garnish.  Wrap lettuce around meat mixture and enjoy!

Note:  The Sriracha sauce is a good condiment on hand for many dishes.  Also, lettuce like Bibb lettuce would make very nice wraps, but I happened to have the Romaine on hand and therefore they became 'boats' instead.
Do not forget the garnishes

I'm not sure I would really put this in the authentic Thai category, but it is very good none the less.