This Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe features bold spices, a hefty amount of garlic and ginger, and aromatic coconut milk. It gets its silky body from roasted pumpkin blended with peanuts. The last-minute addition of a cup of quinoa makes it even more nutritious and protein-packed.
3pounds9 cups pumpkin (or butternut squash) , peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes
2medium-sized onionssliced into ½-inch thin
¼cupextra virgin olive oil
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonblack pepperfreshly ground
2cupswaterroom temperature
¼cuplightly salted peanutschopped
For the Chili:
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1large red or yellow bell pepperseeded and cut into small (½-inch) pieces)
1jalapenoseeded and chopped
1poundground turkey
3clovesof garlicpeeled and minced
½teaspoonground cumin
¾teaspoonground coriander
¾teaspoonground cinnamon
2teaspoonskosher salt
2tablespoonsfresh gingergrated
3cupsvegetableor chicken stock
114.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
113.5 oz canned full-fat coconut milk
1cupwhite quinoarinsed thoroughly
½cuplightly salted peanutsroughly chopped
¼cupfresh parsleyroughly chopped
Instructions
To prepare the roasted squash: Adjust the oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the cubed pumpkin and onion in between the two sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give it a toss to make sure that both the squash and onion are fully coated with oil and seasoning. Roast vegetables, stirring once, for 40-45 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through roasting.
Place half of the roasted vegetables, water, and peanuts into a blender (or a food processor). Blend until fully pureed. Set aside.
To make the chili: Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add in the pepper, jalapeno, ground turkey, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until peppers start to soften and turkey meat is cooked, 8-10 minutes..
Add in the ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.
Stir in the pureed vegetables, rest of the roasted squash and onion, vegetable (or chicken) stock, tomatoes (with their juices), coconut milk, and rinsed quinoa. Give it a large stir.
Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked.
Taste for seasoning and add in, if necessary. If it is too thick, feel free to adjust thickness with hot water (or warm stock).
Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and chopped peanuts.