Fall has arrived in Southern California, which means the weather has dipped to 75 degrees and I’ve switched to my “winter sandals.” It also means it’s officially chili weather, and I recently cooked up a big ole batch of one of my favorite dishes – Pumpkin Turkey Chili! This recipe is soooo easy, you’ll wonder why you don’t make it every week. Come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea ….
Don’t feel intimidated by the ingredients list! Nearly half are canned items and the other half are spices you probably already own.
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry you are
Ingredients
2 (two) cups canned pumpkin
1 (one) pound ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (one) green pepper, chopped
1 (one) 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 (one) 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 (one) 15 ounce can of black beans
1 (one) 15 ounce can of kidney beans
3 (three) cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (one) tsp cumin
1 (one) tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder (increase if you want a spicy chili)
olive oil
Bay leaves (optional)
Steps
Step One: Heat the ground turkey separately until well cooked.
Step Two: Add one or two teaspoons of olive oil to a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the cooked turkey and sauté a couple more minutes.
Step Three: Add the following: canned pumpkin, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, and kidney beans. Stir well. Add the seasonings and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Step Four: Reduce heat to low and cover, but leave a small bit uncovered so steam can escape. The cover is just to prevent splattering. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Five: Remove from stove and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Add a couple bay leaves as a garnish. Enjoy!
Variants
Note this results in a very thick chili! If you want a thinner chili, add water a 1/4 cup at a time during Step Three until you’ve reached the desired consistency. If you add water, you may need to add more spices.
Want a vegetarian version of this dish? Just leave out the turkey and add a third type of bean. Three bean pumpkin chili!