The weather’s getting colder and you may start to see fewer and fewer salads in my Instagram stories, and more and more soups, stews, curries, tagines, and…you guessed it…chili!
Yep, I’m all about the warming one-pot wonders at this time of year and chili is on heavy rotation in the Whole Happy kitchen.
I’ve been making it a lot lately with ground free-range turkey, because let’s face it, I could use a little tryptophan hit as the winter blues creep in (in case you were wondering tryptophan, found in greatest concentration in turkey, is fantastic for mood in its ability to calm the mind and destress the body), but you are more than welcome to sub in some grass-fed beef or bison if you’re more so looking for an iron hit!
As always, take all my recipes as mere “suggestions” and do whatever you please with the exact seasoning and flavouring. I promise I won’t be offended, especially now that I’m super relaxed and chill from all the turkey “chill-i” I’ve been eating ;)
Warming Turkey Chili
Prep time: About 10 mins
Cooking time: about 20-30
Makes about 6 large servings
Ingredients
1.5-2 lb ground free-range turkey
1 x 796 mL (about 27oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 x 56mL can (about 5oz) tomato paste
400g (about 14oz) cups sliced mushrooms
1 large onion chopped
1 large pepper chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 x 540mL (about 20 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp hot chili powder (or a tablespoon of mild chili powder)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
Extra virgin olive oil as need (about 1/2 cup)
Directions
In a large pan over medium heat, sautée the chopped onion and pepper with a couple tablespoons of olive oil until they start to soften (about 2-3 minutes).
Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic (as well as some more olive oil if needed) and continue sautéing until cooked (about 2-3 minutes).
Take the pan off the burner and set it aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, brown the ground turkey with a couple tablespoons of olive oil (about 5 minutes). *Note: you will likely have to drain the excess moisture along the way and add in a bit more olive oil so that the turkey doesn’t stick to the bottom and begin to char.
Mix in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and marjoram with the cooked turkey until well combined, and bring the heat down to a simmer.
Stir in the beans, sautéed veggies, maple syrup, salt and pepper, cover the pot, and allow everything to simmer for about 10-20 more minutes, stirring occasionally along the way. *Note: if you notice it starting to get a little soupy, take the lid off and let it simmer uncovered for a bit to allow the excess moisture to reduce off. On the other hand, if you’re noticing that it’s feeling a little dry for your taste, add in small amounts of hot water until you achieve your desired consistency
Once the chilli has simmered for a while, serve and enjoy with garnishes of choice (shown here with sliced avocado, plain Greek yoghurt, and chili flakes).