So it’s been freezing quite a bit lately – time for chili! I wanted to make a turkey chili that was different than the usual chipotle chili I make – more bell peppers, different flavors the one I tend to use (chipotle and deglazing with beer), strong cumin flavor. I was also curious about using chocolate as a flavoring agent in chili. After some hunting around, I found this Bon Appetit 1997 Turkey Chili recipe which fit most of my criteria. So I tweaked and came up with the variation below. It was delicious and had great depth of flavor. I used red kidney beans (I have a surplus of those right now), but because white beans are more flavor neutral I could see those working better.
Turkey Chili
Makes at least 8 servings
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 1/2 ground cumin
1 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chili powder (CGL Note: It seems like a lot but it really works)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (CGL Note: I used Lake Champlain New World Drinking Chocolate – yes it has sugar in it, but it’s such a high cocoa content I figured it would work fine – and it did!)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (whole or crushed)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
For garnish: grated cheddar cheese, plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream, chopped cilantro, chopped red onions.
Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 20 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.) Ladle chili into bowls, and top with whichever garnish you would like.
General Disclosures & Disclaimers
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That Chili looks delicious and really comforting!
Cheers,
Rosa
How can you go wrong if it has chocolate in it!!! I think I’ll have to try it. Is the cumin really dominant flavour, or could I leave it out?
I looked at the ingredient list and said WOW and then looked at the finished product and said WOW WOW. Looks gorgeous.
That looks really good and sounds like even I, who can barely boil water, could make it! I’m going to try it this weekend.
Check it out! Is that your fancy schmancy pot? Looks good!
I came across your blog and just wnated to let you know I will be doing so quite often as a fellow city girl who is not in the city right now!