I don’t know about you guys, but despite the fact that I’m a January baby, I LIVE for summer weather (sans humidity)! So on arctic days like these, a big pot of warm simmering something is a must. Enter, white bean turkey chili. It’s the perfect warm-you-up-from-the-inside-out dish, and is equally perfect with a handful of chips and shredded cheese– a great addition to your Super Bowl party menu!
To be honest, I was never really a chili girl myself, but my big sis Jackie makes reeeaaallllyyyyy goood ground beef and red bean chili that won me over. This recipe keeps it light and healthy with ground turkey and lots of veggies and lots of rich spices that give a ton of flavor and a nice kick of spice. Give this a try on your next snow or game day!
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 15 oz can cannellini beans
- 1 medium onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 chicken bouillon packet
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups diced bell peppers
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 flour tortillas
- All-natural canola oil cooking spray
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Dice the onion and bell peppers (use any color combo of peppers you like- we used 1 whole red pepper and half of each of a yellow and orange pepper), and mince the garlic.
- In a medium, heavy bottom pot (at least 3 quarts... we used cast iron), heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions with salt and pepper until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking for only a minute. Add in the ground turkey (use a third tablespoon of olive oil here if your turkey is extra lean) and spices, except the bay leaf. Break up the turkey with a wooden spoon and cook through, stirring frequently.
- When the meat is fully cooked, mix in the flour and cook another 1-2 minutes. This will help thicken the chili as the flour absorbs the moisture from the turkey mixture.
- Add the beans, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, and spinach. Dissolve the chicken bouillon packet in the chicken stock, and add the stock mixture to the pot. Drop in your bay leaf. Stir everything together, being sure to scrape up any bits of flavor cooked onto the bottom of the pan.
- Let the chili simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for one hour, until the flavors have combined and the beans have absorbed all the flavorful spices.
- Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray, and wedge them between the bottom side of 4 muffin cups. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees F until golden brown and crispy.
Anthony and my mom demanded theirs over rice, so I cooked up some jasmine rice and toasted some leftover tortillas into pseudo bowl shapes using the bottom side of my muffin tin. The rice helps absorb any extra liquid from the chili so the tortilla bowls don’t get soaked through.
The next day (when this tastes the best, I might add), I skipped the rice and bowl and just dove right in with some melted cheese and tortilla chips. Such a delicious dip! How do you like your chili?