Turkey Chili: Round 2

It's definitely that time of year again. Time for crisp mornings, huge sweaters, crunchy leaves, mugs of tea, pumpkin-flavored everything, and bowls upon bowls of bold soups and stews that fill you up and keep your warm. I can't stand it when some people think that fall and winter replaces the gorgeous fresh foods of spring and summer with dull, bland, and heavy meals that leave you craving exciting flavors. Obviously, you have to make due with what's in season, but I think fall and winter bring some of the best foods on the planet, such as pomegranates, pumpkins, and citrus fruits. And as the case may be when cooking huge pots of soup or stew on chilly days, raiding the spice rack can make any meals more flavorful and a lot less boring. 

In order to ward off the cold-weather woes, I fix a big batch of turkey chili pretty often, almost always tweaking the recipe with a different kind of bean or a little more spiciness from hot green chiles or cayenne pepper. I think that making homemade chili is an art, where the cook can inject their favorite flavors into the recipe and still come up with something new every time. I have never made a batch of chili that tastes exactly like the last one. It's a nice balance of familiarity and new flavors. 

Some of the variations I have made on this chili include adding a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the spice mix, throwing in a teaspoon of lime zest, using black beans or red kidney beans instead of cannelini beans, and using chicken broth instead of water to reach a thinner consistency. I love the richness that the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes give, and the cinnamon is always a must in all of my chili recipes - it just works. 

So embrace the autumnal season by curling up with a bowl of this chili and a good book (or a few episodes of New Girl on Hulu), and be at peace. Happy eating! 

Turkey Chili 

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
1 (24 oz.) can crushed tomatoes 
2 cans white cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 cup water, depending on how thick the mixture is

In a soup pot or dutch oven, cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and salt in 1 tablespoon olive oil until the the onions are translucent. Move mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add a bit more oil and the ground turkey, cooking the turkey until no longer pink. Return the veggies to the pot, add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes (the mixture will be very thick). Fold in the white cannelini beans. Thin the chili out with a few tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture is thick, but has a more liquidy consistency. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with more salt if needed, and serve hot with lots of crusty bread for dipping.