Lean Turkey Chili With Warming Spices

A lean, healthy Turkey Chili with cinnamon and cacao adds a deep warmth and unique flavour to this one pot comfort food meal

Ingredients in a lean turkey chili recipe

Lean ground turkey: Lean ground turkey or chicken are a better choice, over ground beef, if you want to keep your chili heart-healthy. Cook it in olive or avocado oil, as opposed to canola oil, for the healthiest chili recipe

Mixed beans: Beans are packed with fibre and protein that benefits heart health, weight loss, microbiome, and satiety. If you find that beans are difficult to digest, rinsing them well and cooking your chili for longer helps to break down the enzymes that can sometimes contribute to gas.

As for the types of beans to use, either add individual canned beans, like kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, and white beans, or add a can of mixed beans and add additional beans as you like. We usually start with a can of mixed beans, and add an extra small can of kidney or black beans to bulk up our chili

Tomatoes: We used one large can of whole, peeled tomatoes in sauce, but a few freshly chopped tomatoes are also perfect in this chili, providing iron, vitamin C, and lycopene. If you want a thicker, more saucy chili, add 1 cup of pureed tomatoes

Veggies: Many veggies work in this chili, so feel free to make it your own. We used zucchini, onion, garlic, carrots, and corn. Some popular vegetables to use in chili are sweet potato, celery, parsnips, broccoli, and cauliflower. All and any vegetable is a good choice, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals

Spices: Chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, cacao powder (real cacao, not hot chocolate powder) and a dash of cinnamon give this chili its deep, warm flavour, a gentle heat, and extra nutrients to support blood circulation and immune system. If you don’t use fresh garlic and onion in this recipe, then add 1/2-1 tsp of each in the spice blend

What to serve chili with

Sour cream: Will add more saturated fat to your chili, but nicely offsets the spice and adds a creamy texture when stirred in to the chili

Grated cheese: Melts nicely on top of chili, if you like a cheesy bite!

Avocado: Either use sliced avocado or make a quick guacamole to garnish chili with. It also adds an extra health factor, providing more healthy fats to the recipe

Tortilla chips: If you like a bit of crunch, add a few tortilla chips to scoop the chili up with, or crumble them on the top when serving

Fresh herbs: Try garnishing your chili with fresh cilantro and chopped chives, and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for extra heat

Lime wedges: A little citrus livens up an dish, especially a chili!

Jalapeno peppers: For those who like more heat, serve sliced jalapeno peppers on or on the side of chili. For less heat, remove the seeds

How to make a healthy turkey chili

1. Heat olive or avocado oil in a deep dutch oven, or soup pot on low-medium heat
2. Break up a pound of lean ground turkey as it cooks in the pot and starts to brown
3. Add in diced onion and chopped garlic and cook until onion becomes translucent
4. Add in chopped carrots and all other vegetables, along with a can of whole, peeled tomatoes. Break them up with a spoon as they start to cook. Put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low to let the veggies steam and soften
5. Stir in the spices and beans (drained and rinsed well). Keep the lid on the pot while the chili cooks on a low simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. If it starts to become too thick, add 1/2 cup of water or broth as needed
6. Spoon chili into bowls and garnish with toppings of choice (sour cream, avocado slices, chives, jalapeno peppers, tortilla chips, and/or grated cheese). Note that the nutrition info will change as you add toppings