Don’t let the pumpkin in this recipe fool you- it adds a nice, creamy element to the chili, but the real star flavors are the green chilies and cumin. You won’t even know the pumpkin is there (but you’ll still appreciate it’s contribution)!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp chili powder to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 15 oz cans white northern or navy beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup pumpkin puree canned or fresh (see instructions below)
- 1 4.5 oz canned chopped green chiles
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- chopped cilantro, sour cream, and tortilla chips for topping
Instructions
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In a large stock pot, brown the ground turkey, onion, and garlic until the turkey is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the chili powder, cuming, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for one minute.
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Add the bay leaves, beans, pumpkin, green chiles, and chicken broth, then stir to combine.
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Bring the chili to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook on low heat for as little as 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
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Serve with cilantro and sour cream, if desired.
Recipe Notes
To make homemade pumpkin puree:
Wash and dry a sugar pumpkin from the store (do not get a carving pumpkin!)
Cut the pumpkin in half and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet.
Add just enough water to go up the sides a bit.
Bake at 425 F for about 30-40 minutes, or until you can pierce through the pumpkin and the inside is tender. Baking times will vary based on the size of your pumpkin.
Once cooled, scoop the seeds out (this is much easier to do after baking than before!). Then, scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You can add a small amount of water to help blend, if necessary.
Use as you would canned pumpkin. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
