There are two secret ingredients in this one, and they are both hiding in plain sight. Keto Mexican turkey soup gets its brightness from lime and lemon together, and the combination works better than either one on its own.
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The lemon tempers the lime just enough that it does not overpower the savory broth. This is a genuinely good way to use up leftover turkey, dark meat or white meat both work fine.
Do not skip dry-roasting the vegetables. It only takes a few minutes and adds real depth of flavor you cannot get any other way.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Mexican Turkey Soup
Dry-roasting trips people up more than any other step here, mostly around timing. Peel the onion and garlic before they go into the pan, not after, since roasted garlic turns soft enough that peeling it afterward is genuinely difficult. The whole bell pepper goes in as is, and everything gets diced only once it has cooled.
Put the peeled onion, peeled garlic, and whole pepper into a dry skillet with no oil, over medium-high heat, and let them blister, soften, and brown before removing them to cool and dice. This can be done in the oven under the broiler instead, but the stovetop gives you more control and less risk of burning anything.
Add the zucchini only in the last few minutes of cooking. It turns mushy fast if it simmers along with everything else from the start.
Readers who have made this repeatedly confirm that dry-roasting and fresh lime and lemon are not optional if you want the real flavor this recipe is known for. It also freezes beautifully in individual portions, which makes it an easy lunch to pull out on a busy day.
What You’ll Love About Mexican Turkey Soup
- The lime and lemon combination gives this real brightness that other turkey soups don’t have.
- A genuinely good use for leftover turkey, dark meat or white meat both work.
- Freezes beautifully in individual portions, so lunch is ready to go on a busy day.
Ingredients
- Cooked turkey – Leftover, dark or white meat both work fine.
- Chicken stock – Low sodium, so you control the seasoning yourself.
- Onion – Peeled before dry-roasting, diced after it cools.
- Canned tomatoes with chilies – With juice.
- Bell pepper – Left whole for dry-roasting, diced after it cools.
- Garlic – Peeled before dry-roasting, diced after it cools.
- Lime juice and zest – Fresh, one of the two brightening ingredients here.
- Lemon juice – Fresh, tempers the lime so it doesn’t overpower the broth.
- Mexican oregano – Not Italian oregano, the flavor is meaningfully different.
- Zucchini – Added only in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Chipotle powder – For smoky heat.
How to Make Mexican Turkey Soup
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Peel the onion and garlic. Add them to a dry skillet with no oil, along with the whole bell pepper, over medium-high heat.
Cook, turning occasionally, until everything is blistered, soft, and browned. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool, remove the seeds from the bell pepper and dice it along with the onion and garlic.
Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes with chilies, turkey, diced roasted vegetables, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, and chipotle powder to a large pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the zucchini and bring back to a boil, cooking until just tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lime juice, and lime zest. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with lime and cilantro.
Make It A Meal
Pair this with Shrimp Chowder with Chipotle or Smoked Sausage Chowder on a different night for a rotation of hearty keto soups.
For something heartier on the same table, Chicken Taco Casserole works well alongside a bowl of this.
Storage
This freezes beautifully. Portion into individual containers once cooled, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave for a quick lunch, or on the stovetop for a full dinner. Refrigerated leftovers keep for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 6 net carbs per 1 cup serving. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Roasted garlic softens enough that peeling it afterward is difficult. Peel both before they go into the dry skillet, then dice everything once it has cooled.
Yes, dry-roast a jalapeno alongside the bell pepper and add it in with the seeds removed, or stir in fresh diced jalapeno at the end for extra heat.
Yes, cooked chicken works well in place of turkey using the same method and measurements.
Add Preferred SourceMexican Turkey Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked turkey diced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 onion diced
- 14 ounces Rotel tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- lime and cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Dry roast the pepper, onion and garlic. Peel the onion and garlic cloves and put them with the pepper into a skillet (no oil) over medium-high heat until they start to blister, soften and turn brown. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and dice it. Dice the onion and garlic, too.
- Add 4 cups of no salt-added chicken stock to a large pot. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes, the leftover turkey, garlic, onion, peppers, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, and chipotle powder.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the diced zucchini. Bring back to a boil and cook until the zucchini is tender-crisp. About 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, lime juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lime slices and a bit of cilantro. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Peel the onion and garlic before dry-roasting, not after. Roasted garlic gets too soft to peel cleanly once it’s cooked.
- Add the zucchini only in the last few minutes of cooking. It turns mushy fast if it simmers the whole time.
- Use Mexican oregano rather than Italian. The flavor is different enough to notice in a soup this simple.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
I love that you can also freeze this for later! The soup sounds amazing!
Indeed! I like to freeze it in sour cream containers that are the perfect single-serving size. Enjoy!
This was excellent! I was very impressed by how flavorful it was and it really hit the spot with my kids too!!! Great recipe. I will be making it again!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
What a fantastic way to use leftover turkey – healthy too! The flavor combinations sound amazing.
Would love to try a vegetarian version of this soup..looks so flavorful
Intrigued by this exceptionally likeable recipe, but very puzzled by the use of dry roasting in a skillet. Doesn’t seem to work for me, for example, peeling garlic cloves after roasting is tricky, they’re just too soft. As for peppers and onions, why not oven roast? Couldn’t find any ‘how-to’ guides to dry pan roasting vegetables (as opposed to dry spices) online. (The recipe doesn’t specify when the diced pepper should be added, btw)
Hi there, great question! Dry roasting is simply a way to blister and get some flavor into veggies without the use of oil or an oven. The garlic and onion should be peeled first, and the veggies should be added to a hot, dry skillet and cooked until blistered and brown. You can do this in the oven under the broiler, too, but you have more control and less chance of burning on the stovetop. I’ve clarified things a bit in the recipe – I hope that helps! It truly is a tasty soup! ~Jenn
Dry roasting the onion, bell pepper, and garlic is imperative, as is the use of fresh lemon and limes. I made this recipe as is, except I also added diced fresh jalapeños for some extra heat. I can’t wait to make it again with chicken instead of leftover turkey (but I had to use up the leftover turkey and this recipe saved the day)! Great blend of flavors!