Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I was craving chili.

I think it is because these cool kaleidoscope days of Autumn are begging for something simmered, grounding, and delicious.

I wanted to include pumpkin, ‘cause well *gestures at everything*, it is pumpkin season.

What I wasn’t craving was beans. Beans are a staple in most traditional chilis, but they can be hard to digest, especially this time of year. The bigger the bean, the more apt it is to cause digestive difficulties.. 

So in the interest of good digestion and warm fuzzy feelings, I developed what turned out to be my new absolute favourite chili.

This version forgoes the beans in favour of ground turkey, but I think you’ll find all the traditional flavours are there. Definitely see if you can find some black cumin as it really makes this dish shine.

Once everything has simmered together, enjoy topped with a little fresh farmers cheese, sour cream, or even some feta would be nice here. 

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Serves 6-8

3-4 tbsp olive oil (Or ghee or bacon fat)

1 tsp crushed black cumin seeds

1 tsp crushed regular cumin seeds

½ tsp crushed fennel seeds

½ tsp crushed coriander seeds

½ -1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

⅛-¼ tsp red chili powder (Can omit if any overheating/acid issues)

1 medium sweet onion chopped

1 tsp salt and to taste

1 lb ground turkey meat

½ cup red wine (Or more broth/water)

2-3 medium carrots chopped

2-3 celery stalks chopped

1 bell pepper chopped (any colour)

2 cups pumpkin (I used fresh roasted pumpkin, but I expect you could get away with canned)

2 14.5oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

1-2 quarts chicken bone broth or water

Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

½ cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed 6-8 quart stockpot over medium high heat. Add spices (except salt) and stir well to combine. Cook until spices become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. add the onions and 1 tsp of salt, stir well, and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent.

Add the ground turkey, breaking it up into small pieces as you stir it into the spiced oil. Brown the meat well, adding more oil if necessary to keep it from sticking too much.

Once the meat is well browned, add the red wine and scrape up all the fond (brown stuck bits on the bottom of the pot)

Add the carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the vegetables to sweat a bit. Add the pumpkin and diced tomatoes and stir well. Then add enough broth to cover everything by one inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer and allow to cook for at least 45 minutes, longer if you have it. You can always add more broth if the consistency is not to your liking.

Add the lemon juice and ½ cup of nutritional yeast, if you are using it. Then stir well and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Serve topped with a little cheese if you are into that kind of thing.

This is better the day after, if it lasts that long.