The Wife of Kit Carson
The Bowl of the Wife of Kit Carson is a thick and warming soup, and a great way to use the last of the turkey. I don’t know its origins, or how it came to have such an awkward name. But I do know that the wife of Kit Carson had her own name. She was Josefa Jaramillo and she was from Taos, New Mexico. So, in her honor, and in honor of all those who stir the soup while others get the glory, lets call this Josefa’s Soup. Enjoy!
Josefa’s Soup
Serves 6
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups coarsely chopped turkey
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 16-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1-2 canned chipotles, rinsed, seeded, and chopped (Go easy if you’re unaccustomed to chipotles. They can be hot!)
Pinch oregano
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
Combine stock, turkey, rice, garbanzos, and chipotles in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Add oregano.
Divide cheese and avocado equally among six bowls, and ladle soup into each. Serve immediately
We’ve made this recipe for years – thank you for a more appropriate name!
The recipe I was given by a friend in NM includes 2 chopped onions, 1-2 T. garlic, 1T oregano, a bay leaf,, 1 T smoked salt, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika. I add 1/2 cup of mixed beans, or pintos – they’re in everything in NM, plus a cup of frozen corn, for some nice crunch. And most recipes use 2 lb. leftover turkey, so it feeds a lot of people. There would not have been a single avocado tree in the Rockies in the 1880’s, so that just seems weird.
That’s what I just said to my husband while reading Josefa’s chili recipe. “Where would you get an avocado?” in Taos, New Mexico. Josefa is my cousin on my mother’s side. Maria Rosana Aguirre Laydon.
I like the name bowl of the wife. We make this often using green chiles.
Going to use hominy and pintos next time
This sounds lovely and delicious! (But I might leave out the chiles, wuss that I am!)