Zesty White Bean & Turkey Chili

I love making chili, especially on a cool fall night.  I'm kind of surprised I have no chili recipes on here yet!  As with any chili, you can make this one as spicy or mild as you prefer; for more heat, add additional chili powder or a little more jalapeño.  This takes a little bit of prep work, but I think you'll be glad you made the effort!


Ingredients (makes 3 servings):

• 10 oz ground turkey
• 15 oz can Great Northern or white beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
• 1/2 of a medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 to 5 jarred jalapeno rings 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• kosher salt and black pepper

Prep the beans by draining and rinsing them, and add all but 1/3 of a cup of the beans to a food processor.  Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and the jalapeños to the beans and puree.  Set the bean puree aside.  Next, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper and Anaheim pepper.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook 7 to 9 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked.  Meanwhile, in another skillet, cook the ground turkey, also seasoned lightly with salt and pepper; when it is almost fully cooked, add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano.  Keep stirring to keep the spices and garlic from burning until the meat is fully cooked.  Now add the remaining whole beans, the ground turkey, and bean puree to the saucepan with the veggies.  Pour in about 1.25 cups of chicken broth (less for a thicker chili) and stir to combine everything.  Bring the chili to a boil, and then simmer for 10 more minutes.  Right before serving, taste for more salt/pepper and then add the chopped cilantro.  Serve with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of shredded cheese!