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Turkey chili makes a great winter meal

Nothing spells culinary satisfaction in the winter like a bowl of chili. Get all the warm, filling comfort you crave, along with the homemade nutrition your body needs, with this turkey chili recipe.

This recipe results in a rich, spicy red, green, and white chili loaded with good things. Using dried beans lengthens the cooking time to about three hours from about the one hour of simmering if you use canned beans. If you have turkey frozen from Thanksgiving or other holidays, this is the perfect chance to use it.

Chili is usually better in the days after it’s made, so it’s one of those recipes to make on a weekend day which makes dinner very easy for a couple of nights during the week.

Turkey Chili (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds leftover turkey, cut into pieces (try 1 pound white meat and ½ pound dark meat), or ground turkey sautéed until no longer pink
4 cups turkey stock or homemade chicken broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup farro or pearl barley
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups dried white beans, soaked over night and drained
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a low flame. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeños, and cook them until the onions soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and oregano. Stir in the turkey. Add the stock or broth, tomatoes, farro, and beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for about an hour. Stir in the chopped cilantro near the end of the cooking time. Season with salt to taste.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 344
Sodium: 282 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 35 g
Fiber: 8 g
Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 62 mg
Protein: 36 g 

Play with your food: Explore other nutritious recipes in our Dr. Preston Maring’s farmers market recipe blog. 

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