The Busy Gourmand

Turkey Chili

Normally when you think of chili your mind wanders over to beef or pork in the recipe. In this case I had an awful lot of turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. So turkey became the obvious meat choice.

4 cups of cooked cubed or shredded turkey
2 cans (14 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1 small can (4 oz) diced green chiles, as hot or mild as you like
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
grated cheese for garnish
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Add the turkey, the beans, the tomatoes, the chiles, the cumin, and the chili powder. Mix thoroughly and allow the liquid from the tomatoes to spread out in the pot. Add just enough chicken stock to barely cover the ingredients in the pot. Depending on how much liquid is in the beans it may take up to 1 1/2 cups of stock. Allow the mixture to simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Add the cilantro leaves, stir, and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Chili in the Pot

I like soups and stews to sit for a bit before I serve them. In this case I let the chili sit for about 15 minutes before serving. You are welcome to serve right away if you like. Garnish with a bit of grated cheese and you have a full meal.

This makes 4 entree portions or about 6 soup portions.