By Calving is in full swing. Eight calves this week alone — the herd is front-loaded this year with the early calvers, which means a busy March and a quieter April. I'm checking every four hours and sleeping in two-hour blocks when the herd is active, which is the standard calving season schedule that I've been running since I took over as the primary operator.
One heifer needed assistance on Tuesday — first-time calver, calf in the wrong position, required manual repositioning before she could deliver. It took forty minutes and a lot of patience from both me and the heifer. The calf came out fine, the heifer recovered, and I came in covered in what calving season covers you in and had a shower and ate a bowl of Mom's soup and went back out for the midnight check. This is March on a cattle ranch. The glamour of the beef industry.
I've been thinking seriously about Salina. April, maybe. The drive is fourteen hours each way — Montana to Kansas through Wyoming and Nebraska. I could leave Monday morning and be there Monday evening, spend Tuesday at the cemetery and in town, and be back by Wednesday. A three-day trip. I have the farrier accounts covered. The calving will be winding down. April is the right time.
I mentioned it to Gary on Thursday. He said, "What's stopping you from going this year?" I said, "Nothing. I'm going." He said, "Tell Linda Owens you're coming. Give her the choice to meet you or not." I said I would. I wrote her a letter — an actual letter, because some things require a letter — and mailed it Friday. I told her I was coming in April if it was all right with her. I told her I would like to see Derek's grave and I would like to meet her if she'd be willing. I said no pressure on the second part.
Mom’s soup is what I ate when I came in Tuesday night after the heifer, and it’s what I keep thinking about every time I stumble through the back door during these four-hour checks — something hot, something with enough substance to carry you back out into the cold, something that doesn’t ask much of you when you have nothing left to give. This tortilla soup isn’t exactly the recipe she used, but it hits the same note: fast enough for a weeknight, filling enough for a rancher, and warm in the way that matters when March is doing what March does. I made a big pot of it Friday after I mailed Linda Owens’ letter, because I needed to do something with my hands and I needed something good to come from the day.
Weeknight Turkey Tortilla Soup
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained
- 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, for serving
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Brown the turkey. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Soften the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Build the soup. Add the diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
- Season. Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Finish with lime. Squeeze in the lime juice and give the soup a final stir. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips and any desired toppings — cheese, sour cream, avocado, or cilantro.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 680mg