VEGGIES AND TURKEY: Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add in the oil. Add in the diced onion, carrot, pepper, and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently until veggies are beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Press to the sides of the pan and add the ground turkey to the pan. Season to taste (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, until mostly browned, breaking the meat up as you cook.
POTATOES AND SEASONINGS: Add in tomato paste, diced potatoes, jalapeño, garlic, and all the seasonings. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
SIMMER: Reduce heat to low. Pour in undrained canned tomatoes, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Stir, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Press potatoes below liquid and cover with a lid. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
FINISH COOKING: Remove lid, increase heat to medium, stir, and continue cooking with the lid off for an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (Note 5). Taste and add extra salt/pepper if needed. Remove and discard bay leaf.
SERVE: Serve warm with flour tortillas and/or rice. Add lime wedges and fresh cilantro to the plate if desired and dig in!
Notes
Note 1: Veggies: This is about 1 yellow onion, 2-3 large carrots, and 1 green pepper. Be sure to dice these veggies fairly small (use a food processor for ease/speed). Really take the time to thoroughly sauté these veggies for the best soup flavor and to ensure they're completely tender.Note 2: Potatoes: We like Yukon Gold potatoes best -- no need to peel. If using Russet instead, peel them. Dice the potatoes in small, even pieces to cook in time (1/2 inch).Note 3: Garlic and jalapeños: This is about 3 cloves garlic. Jalapeños can widely vary in heat so add less to start. If you are super sensitive to heat, leave them out entirely.Note 4: Tortillas: We love these unbaked tortillas by TortillaLand® (not sponsored). They are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near shredded cheese. Heat them through and serve the filling inside or the tortillas on the side (rip up and use as a fork!).Note 5: Add extra liquid if needed: If the dish starts to dry out before the potatoes are tender, you may need to add a splash more of chicken stock. This can also mean the heat is too high or potatoes were chopped too big. Add 1/4 cup more chicken stock and go from there. Timing will vary greatly depending on the size of pot used, size of potatoes, actual heat of stovetop, etc. When potatoes are easily pierced by a fork and most of the liquid is absorbed into the meat, it's done!