Turkey Chili with Chipotles and Chard

Remember that Thanksgiving episode of Friends, where Rachel accidentally combines the recipes for Shepard’s pie with an English trifle?

Everyone fakes enjoying it except Joey, who really does love it.

“I mean, what’s not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!”

That phrase always pops into my head, when I hear people say that chili isn’t good for you.

“What’s not good about it? Ground turkey, good. Chard, good. Chipotles, good!”

And in the case of this spicy turkey chili that’s made with lean meat and loaded with vegetables and chilies, there’s plenty to like.

Turkey Chili with Chipotles and Chard

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey (I used 80% lean)

1 large red onion, diced

2 teaspoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon of cumin

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 small dried chipotle chili

¼ of a dried ancho chili

Boiling water

1 ½ cups of chicken stock

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 14 oz. can of peeled tomatoes

4 stalks of chard, removed from the stalk and roughly chopped

1 8 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed

Instructions:

1. In a heavy pot, sauté the turkey and onion together with olive oil over medium heat. Stir the turkey occasionally until it’s cooked through, about 15 minutes.
2. While the turkey browns, place the dried chilies in a small bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chilies steam for 5 minutes.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, stock and yellow pepper to the pot with the turkey and onion, and stir well.
4. When the chilies are done steaming, gently remove them from the bowl, roughly chop them and add to the pot. (Be careful, they’ll still be hot.) Pour two tablespoons of the chili water into the pot. Add the tomatoes, chard and beans and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every few minutes.