Turkey Chili with Kale and Corn
Turkey Chili with Kale and Corn
In preparation for the polar vortex coming for Chicago, I decided to make my turkey chili. You can have the prep and cooking done in under an hour, and you’ll have dinner/lunch for the week! Snowed in? Make this pot for your friends that are also in hibernation and make them bring the wine. I secretly love when the weather is terrible out, and you are “forced” to stay in, eat, drink wine, and binge on all your shows.
The secret to my recipe is my chili seasoning. Yes, you can skip this step and buy chili seasoning from your local grocery store. Let me tell you why you shouldn’t: You probably already have most of these spices in your pantry, it’s the quickest easiest thing to do and worth it, you know exactly what is going in it, you can control the sodium, and you can store it and use it for the next time you make chili!
Naz’s Chili Seasoning:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander ( If you don’t like cilantro, substitute dried parsley for this.)
½ teaspoon cayenne (add more if you like it spicy!)
½ teaspoon chili flake
½ tablespoon light brown sugar (This will help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes in the chili)
½ tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
pinch of cinnamon (Trust me.)
Directions: whisk everything together so it is fully incorporated and set aside.
Toppings:
Cilantro
Avocado
Diced raw onions
Thinly sliced radishes
1 lime, cut into wedges
dollop of greek yogurt
2% low-moisture mozzarella or any cheese you prefer. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast would be a great substitute for my vegans.
Chili:
Ingredients:
1 lb of lean ground turkey (93% lean) Note: Use 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of turkey if you like your chili “meatier”
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow or white onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, seeded, charred, and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 14 oz can tomato pureé
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups raw kale, chopped, large stems removed
2 cups corn off the cob, frozen
2 cans of beans in chili sauce- I use black and red kidney beans in chili sauce
Naz’s chili spice seasoning
Directions:
Heat a dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pot to medium-high with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and brown the meat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to season the meat (It is important to season each layer as you cook). Meanwhile, turn another burner on medium-low. Place the dry poblano pepper directly on the fire sitting on the grate. It will blacken the skin and bring out so much flavor in the poblano. After it is charred on all sides (about 6 minutes), scrape off the layer of charred skin with the sharp edge of your knife and dice up the poblano. Once the meat is browned, after about 7 minutes, remove it from the pot and place it in a bowl.
In the same pot, on medium-high, add another 2 tablespoons of oil, and add the onions, green bell pepper, garlic, and poblano. Sauteé and sweat out the veggies so they begin to soften. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to help them sweat. After about 7 minutes, they should be soft and fragrant. Add in chili seasoning and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. It should look dark in color and almost pasty.
Next, add the cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir. Bring the chili to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add in the meat , the corn, and the beans with their juices. This will help thicken the chili. Cover the chili and let it simmer on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.
Finally add in the kale, stir and let the kale soften for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve hot with your favorite toppings!
Note: Add water in the end if you prefer a more “soupy” consistency.