Creamy Turkey Pumpkin Chili with White Beans
This is the chili to make when you want something rich and warmly spiced without babysitting the stove all afternoon — pumpkin builds the body, a splash of cream finishes it, and it's better the next day once the spices settle in.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
- 1 finely chopped onion (1 cup)
- 2 chopped carrots (1 ½ cups)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds (675 g) ground turkey thigh or breast
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, rosemary or sage (or a mixture of one or more)
- 1 15-ounce (285 g) can unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 2 15-ounce cans (850 g) drained cannellini beans navy beans, or pinto beans
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) heavy whipping cream optional
Instructions
- Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into a 4 or 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven and place over medium heat. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots and 2 2 stalks celery, chopped. Cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, stirring to coat in the oil. Add 1 ½ pounds ground turkey and cook until it's no longer pink, stirring and breaking the meat up with a spoon, about 8 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, rosemary or sage1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin purée, 2 15-ounce cans drained cannellini beans2 cups chicken brothand 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook 20 minutes, adjusting the heat so it doesn't boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup heavy whipping cream, if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve warm in bowls.
Notes
To make this chili in a Crockpot or slow cooker:
- Follow step 1 and 2. Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker and add the herbs, beans, pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups broth and salt.
- Set to cook on low for 6 hours or 3 hours on high.
- Stir in the cream and serve.
- Set your pot to Saute. Follow the steps in step 1 and 2.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the cream to the pot as in step 3.
- Cover and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes, allowing pressure to release naturally.
- Stir in the cream and serve warm.
- Instead of turkey, try ground chicken, pork or even a vegetarian sausage.
- Fresh herbs make a huge difference. If you can find the classic Thanksgiving trio of fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, use all three, Dry herbs are fine to use, too, but use half the amount listed in the recipe — 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- To freeze, cool the chili and pack into freezer containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or use the defrost function of your microwave. Enjoy within 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 28gFat: 17gSodium: 399mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
