Turkey & Veggie Chili

Turkey & Veggie Chili

It’s fall and football season!  It’s the perfect time of the year to make a big ole pot of something yummy and let it simmer all day!  This is a super lean and healthy Turkey & Chili recipe that I have been making (from memory) for years.  Many of my friends have been asking for the recipe lately so I decided to finally write all the ingredients down!  I have also made a vegetarian version of this by omitting the turkey and adding some extra veggies like zucchini or kale!  

This chili’s flavors REALLY come to life after it cooks for about 3 hours.  Of course it’s ALWAYS best to be safe and “taste test” as it is cooking just to make sure!! :)

INGREDIENTS:

20 oz package of lean ground turkey (I used Jenny-O extra lean)

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 green pepper/chopped

1 yellow pepper/chopped

1 large sweet onion/chopped

2 large carrots/chopped

4 garlic cloves/diced

2 pks (16 oz) sliced portabello mushrooms

5 med tomatoes/cubed (with seeds)

18 oz tomato paste (one 6 oz can and one 12 oz can)

24 oz water (you can add a little more if its too thick)

3 cans low sodium dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 T oregano

3-4 T chili powder 

A few shakes of cayenne pepper

Sea Salt and pepper to taste (start with a teaspoon of each)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 T of EVOO in a large pot on med/low…add peppers, carrots and onions

Cook on med/low until the veggies start to soften (about 10 min or so)

Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes

Turn heat down to low.  You want veggies a little soft but not mushy! 

In a separate pan Heat 2 T of EVOO.  Once you get veggies going in the pot you can start cooking the

ground turkey in a separate pan on medium.  Be sure to break up the turkey into small pieces while it is cooking.  

Once the turkey is cooked you can add it to the veggies.

Now you are ready to mix everything together!!  

Add to the large pot of veggies and turkey:  beans, fresh cut tomatoes, tomato paste, water and all seasonings.

Mix well and cook on low for about 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.  The longer you cook it, the more the flavors will enhance! 

Taste test it after 2 hours or so to make sure you have added enough seasoning.

I usually serve with organic cheese, plain greek yogurt and fresh sliced jalapenos as optional toppings.

This makes a big pot so you will have leftovers to eat the next day or you can freeze!

CLICK HERE for printable doc.