Pheasant Tortilla Soup

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Prep Time: 15 min - Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

I used to live in Southern California, and one of my favorite places to eat was a burger joint called Islands. Although they had amazing burgers, my favorite item on Islands’ menu was the chicken tortilla soup. The contrasting textures, flavors and colors in the soup were perfect.

It’s been years since I’ve had a delicious bowl of Islands’ chicken tortilla soup, but I haven’t forgotten it. Here’s my version made with Nebraska pheasant. This is a good recipe for fall, winter or early spring. One whole pheasant makes enough soup to serve four people.

Ingredients

1 whole Pheasant

10 cup(s) Water

2 slices Bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 clove(s) garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Couple dashes of cayenne pepper

Juice of half a lime, or to taste

3 corn tortillas, diced

1.5 - 2 tsp Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon powder

2 large avocados

Shredded Mexican-style cheeses

1 bag(s) seasoned crispy tortilla strips (salad topping aisle)

Fresh cilantro

Kosher salt

Instructions

Step #1 Quarter pheasant if it’s still whole. Place pieces in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step #2 Meanwhile, add chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium heat to render. Then add diced onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent. Next, add diced red bell pepper, diced carrot and another pinch of salt, and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Take off heat.

Step #3 After 1 hour and 30 minutes, take pheasant pieces out of the pot and shred the meat. Return shredded meat and bones to the pot. Add the cooked vegetables, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, lime juice and diced corn tortillas to the soup. Add 1½ teaspoons of Knorr chicken flavor bouillon. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more water if the soup reduces too much.

Step #4 After the soup is done cooking, discard pheasant bones. Season soup to taste with more chicken bouillon. Serve soup topped with diced avocado, shredded cheese, crispy tortilla strips and freshly chopped cilantro.

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Pheasant Tortilla Soup

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley Visit : Visit authors website

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Prep Time: 15 min - Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

1 whole Pheasant

10 cup(s) Water

2 slices Bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 clove(s) garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Couple dashes of cayenne pepper

Juice of half a lime, or to taste

3 corn tortillas, diced

1.5 - 2 tsp Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon powder

2 large avocados

Shredded Mexican-style cheeses

1 bag(s) seasoned crispy tortilla strips (salad topping aisle)

Fresh cilantro

Kosher salt

Instructions

Step #1 - Quarter pheasant if it’s still whole. Place pieces in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step #2 - Meanwhile, add chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium heat to render. Then add diced onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent. Next, add diced red bell pepper, diced carrot and another pinch of salt, and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Take off heat.

Step #3 - After 1 hour and 30 minutes, take pheasant pieces out of the pot and shred the meat. Return shredded meat and bones to the pot. Add the cooked vegetables, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, lime juice and diced corn tortillas to the soup. Add 1½ teaspoons of Knorr chicken flavor bouillon. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more water if the soup reduces too much.

Step #4 - After the soup is done cooking, discard pheasant bones. Season soup to taste with more chicken bouillon. Serve soup topped with diced avocado, shredded cheese, crispy tortilla strips and freshly chopped cilantro.

About the Author

Jenny and Rick Wheatley

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Jenny and Rick Wheatley both grew up in Southern California and connected over a shared love of the outdoors. They started their wild game cooking blog Food for Hunters in 2011, where they share recipes, photos and thoughts on wild food. Today, Jenny and Rick continue to hunt, fish, forage and cook in the Cornhusker State of Nebraska. Their recipes have appeared in numerous publications, including Petersens Hunting, Game and Fish, Nebraskaland and North American Whitetail magazines.

The Nebraska Center for the Book awarded their book Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game the Wildlife Honor Award in 2016.