Just a Taste | Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Kelly Senyei
26 October 26, 2011
39 Comments

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Every year I feel less and less inclined to dedicate my time to crafting a humorous, creative, I-spent-60-bucks-on-clothes-I’ll-wear-once Halloween costume. Although I’ve fully enjoyed dressing up for a night of frights in the past, right now the mere thought of stepping inside my local Halloween superstore makes me exhausted. So I am all the more thankful to be bypassing the Black Swan tutus and Nicki MInaj-inspired wigs in favor of attending a friend’s nuptials this weekend in Chicago. Saved by the (wedding) bell.

With one can of pumpkin puree left in my fridge this week, I contemplated an encore appearance of any of my fall favorites: Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Bars or Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. But as much as I’d love to embrace a sausage costume, the vision of vacuum-packing myself into a dress for the wedding scared me to my senses. With a few simple substitutions, I transformed my figure-friendly Turkey Taco Stew into a gourd lover’s go-to meal. Blue corn tortilla chips carry the black and orange motif into your cuisine, while sturdy mugs are the ultimate kid-friendly serving cups.

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Pumpkin Turkey Chili

PREP: 25 minutes
COOK: 30 MINUTES
YIELD: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
1 green pepper, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (15-oz.)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15-oz.)
1 can condensed tomato soup (10-oz)
1 cup water
2 cups pumpkin puree
Blue corn tortilla chips, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Chopped scallions (green parts only), for garnish

Directions

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot (Dutch oven) over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil then the onions, peppers, garlic, cumin, salt and ground turkey. Sauté until the turkey is fully cooked.

Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the chips, sour cream and scallions.

Simmer the chili over low heat until the onions and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, top a bowl of the chili with a dollop of sour cream (optional), a few blue corn tortilla chips and chopped scallions.

Kelly's Notes:

For a vegetarian version of this chili, simply leave out the ground turkey or substitute in additional beans. Kidney beans would work well since they tend to hold their shape.

Rather than garnish your bowl with blue corn tortilla chips, crumble a handful of the chips into the bottom of the bowl then ladle the chili on top.

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Recipe inspired by Turkey Taco Stew and Whole Foods Market.

Categories: Entrées, Healthy, Soups & Stews

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