turkey chili

Perfect for winter warming (or thawing!) and an excellent big game crowd pleaser for the Super Bowl, this new delicious Black Bean Turkey Chili recipe from Jeanette’s Healthy Living is versatile, simple, and healthy.
From Jeanette: This Slow Cooker Black Bean Turkey Chili is heavy on the beans, making it a lighter and less expensive chili but equally flavorful. We’re in the thick of winter and stews, chili and soups have been on our weekly menus lately. During the wintertime, our bodies crave rich foods, and oftentimes, these foods are heavier and higher in fat. Coming off of the holiday season, however, I’ve been trying to satisfy these cravings with comfort food that’s been lightened up, without sacrificing on flavor or heartiness.
I’ve deliberately called today’s recipe Black Bean Turkey Chili versus Turkey Black Bean Chili because it is heavier on the beans than on the turkey. That means, more fiber and plant based protein, with the added benefit of being a low-cost family meal. Love it when that happens. Oh, and mushrooms add some nice meaty flavor with far fewer calories. Chopped up fine, they meld right into this chili.
Toppings make chili the best, and there’s no shortage of them here. Have some fun with your favorite toppings, whether it’s red onions, scallions, jalapenos, cheese or Greek yogurt.
Crockpot Black Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground toasted cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
7 cups cooked black beans (1 pound dried beans, cooked)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped up in food processor
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup bean cooking liquid or 1 chicken broth
Garnishes:
Chopped avocado, minced scallions, non-fat Greek yogurt
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook
until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add ground
turkey and cook until browned and cooked through. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, ancho
chili powder, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add
black beans, tomatoes, bean cooking liquid, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pour chili into a crockpot and cook on low 6 hours to develop flavors. Alternatively, continue
cooking chili on the stovetop on low heat for 1 hour.
Jeanette Chen, a resident of New Canaan for 20 years, is the busy mom of 4 boys and author of a popular health and wellness food blog, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. She was recently named 2013′s Best Allergy Blog by Healthline and is always looking for ways to make healthier meals for her family and friends. See more by clicking here

New Canaan mom of two young children, Eila Johnson, writes the full plate blog. The site, which was named to Forbes’ Top 100 Sites for Women and Forbes’ Top 10 Sites for Parenting and Homemaking, teaches busy parents how to make simple, nourishing recipes for their families and friends. Just in time for Super Bowl gatherings and crisp winter weekends, Eila is sharing her go-to Turkey Chili recipe with Walter Stewart’s customers. “I love having friends over for a casual meal… even better if the meal can be made ahead so we can all relax and enjoy each other’s company!” says Johnson. “Not only is this recipe a cinch to make, but it’s also healthy (shhh, don’t tell all the guys enjoying it during the football games!), so you don’t have to throw any New Year’s Resolutions out the window when you enjoy a bowl of this goodness.”
Eila’s Go-To Turkey Chili
(Makes 12 servings. Freezes perfectly, so make a big batch and tuck some away for busy school nights when you don’t have time to cook!)
Ingredients:

olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey breast
2 medium onions, chopped
6-8 medium carrots, chopped
3 organic bell peppers, chopped
4 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 19-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 16-25 ounce jars your favorite salsa*
1 24-ounce jar your favorite tomato sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

optional: cinnamon, chili powder, cumin
In a large soup pot, sauté the turkey and onions in a little olive oil. After a few minutes, add the bell peppers and carrots, and continue sautéing until the turkey is cooked through. Add the 4 cans of rinsed and drained beans, cider vinegar, tomato sauce, salsa, and chopped tomatoes. For additional seasoning, I like to add a few shakes of cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, but depending upon the salsa you use, the chili may not even need the additional spices! Once you have added all of the ingredients to your pot, turn the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the flavors meld. That it. You’re done. You just mastered my go-to chili (that always gets rave reviews)!
*I love the local ingredients and special smaller-batch products I can find at Walter Stewart’s. For this batch of chili, I used Mrs. Renfro’s “Roasted Salsa”, which gave it a nice, smoky flavor, and the local brand, Cush’s Medium Homegrown Salsa.