Poblano Chili Recipe with Turkey and Black Beans

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I’ve been meaning to make Poblano Chili ever since we had the most amazing bowl on a California family road trip a few years back. Every time we go on vacation I keep a little travel food journal and jot down special restaurants we visit, dishes I want to make at home, new ingredients to try, etc. For some reason I didn’t write down the restaurant where we had the Poblano Chili but I know it was somewhere in LA. In my notes I wrote down that it was a vegan chili but that it would surely taste even better with a little ground turkey or chicken, which is exactly what I decided to add.  I am sure the California version did not have turmeric as that was not a dominant spice in the recipe, but I have lately been sneaking turmeric in as often as I can to as many recipes as possible just for the amazing health perks. I know turmeric is not always a sought-after flavor though, so don’t worry, you can’t taste it a bit in the recipe.

And since the weather went from 90 degrees all the way down to 74 degrees this past weekend here in south Florida, I decided it was definitely “chili weather” and so the recipe was made….finally 😉

Poblano Chili Recipe With (Or Without) Turkey

If you want your chili to be vegan like the one I ate in California I would suggest simply swapping out the turkey for 2 packages (8 ounces each) crumbled organic tempeh, like I use in the Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper recipe. The only modification you will then need to make to the recipe is to simply cook the tempeh for less time than you would the turkey. I would suggest cooking the tempeh for maybe 4 or 5 minutes rather than the 7 to 8 minutes required to cook the turkey.

Now, if you are using ground turkey and also trying to make sure this recipe still fits into the “clean eating” category then you definitely want to make sure you buy the absolute highest quality turkey. Following these four rules for buying the best Thanksgiving turkey can absolutely apply to the ground turkey you will need to buy for the Poblano Chili recipe.

And finally, if you are wondering about the beer in the photo, it’s just because this particular one, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, went incredibly well with the recipe. If you have our book then you know I am normally not a beer drinker (wine is more my thing). However, we just so happened to have Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the house and my husband decided he would have that instead of wine and when I tried a sip I couldn’t help but have another. I always get way too full to drink beer while eating food, but I did have half of my husband’s bottle along with the chili. Not that I am by any means a beer connoisseur, but I have to say the piney / grapefruit flavor of the Pale Ale paired incredibly well with the Poblano Chili.

Poblano Chili Recipe with Turkey and Black Beans

★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unrefined red palm oil OR extra virgin olive oil OR avocado oil
• 2 poblano chiles (seeded and chopped)
• 1 large Spanish onion (chopped)
• 2 carrots (chopped)
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)
• Unrefined sea salt (to taste)
• 1 pound pasture-raised ground turkey
• 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/4 cup organic chili powder (such as Simply Organic)
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 can (28 ounces crushed tomatoes)
• 2 cans (15 ounces each black beans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup organic frozen corn (thawed)
• 1 cup organic chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped cilantro

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Instructions

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onion, carrots and celery and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the meat begins to brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn and broth. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and remove pot from heat. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Scatter cilantro on top just before serving.

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Looking for More Everyday Healthy Dinner Recipes?

If you liked the Poblano Chili Recipe, be sure to check out a full month’s menu of delicious healthy dinner recipes (including weekly shopping lists!) in our Clean Cuisine Dinners digital cookbook.