I love turkey chili with pumpkin because it’s a great way to get more of those Thanksgiving flavors, in a simple one-pot meal. This recipe is also incredibly easy to adapt to your own tastes!
- While I modeled this after traditional chili and used ground turkey, you could easily make this a Thanksgiving leftover one-pot meal by sautéing the diced vegetables, then tossing in shredded leftover turkey and the rest of the ingredients.
- I used poblanos and smoky chipotle peppers, but you could easily sub-in jalapeños or if you’re really adventurous, habaneros!
- Make this recipe year-round by subbing in butternut squash instead of pumpkin puree. I like to dice it, roast it, and mix it in at the end.
- Turkey chili with pumpkin is also a great slow cooker meal! Just follow the recipe as usual and instead of simmering for 30 minutes, add the chili to a crock pot and cook on low for up to four hours.
So if you’re looking for something to do with that Thanksgiving leftover turkey and canned pumpkin, look no further than this Turkey Chili with Pumpkin, Tomato and Spinach recipe!
Turkey chili with pumpkin, tomato and spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground white or dark meat turkey
- 1 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup spinach leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add onion, bell pepper, poblano and garlic. Cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey and cook until browned.
- Stir in chipotle peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or more, stirring occasionally.
- Just before serving, mix the spinach leaves into the chili and allow them to wilt for 5 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Whole Foods.