Turkey and Acorn Squash Chilli
Turkey and Acorn Squash Chilli
Yum! I absolutely love this turkey chilli with winter squash. It’s hearty, healthy and so delicious. The blended squash and broth base for the chilli makes it thick and creamy while also providing ample nutrients from the squash. Something that you may not know about acorn squash is that it is incredibly high in potassium, like 10x the amount of that in bananas. I try to include it more in my diet during the fall and winter months. Not only is this chilli nutritious, but it’s also gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free without the addition of sour cream on top. It’s just such a warm, flavourful and cozy dish to make on a chilly day.
The squash is roasted in the oven and then pureed with vegetable or chicken broth to create a delicious, thickened base for the chilli. It also has two forms of protein in the ground turkey and beans, so it will definitely keep you satisfied. Adding toppings like avocado, which is high in healthy fats and also a source of potassium, will keep you full for hours. If you have any leftovers, it’s delicious re-heated for lunches or dinner the next day. Lovers of leftovers put up your hand! I love sprinkling on some green onions, fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream before serving. It’s so delicious and perfect for fall!
Ground turkey - Turkey is a lean protein that is full of nutrients; even serotonin which you’ve probably heard! You could also use ground chicken for this recipe.
Acorn squash - Acorn squash, along with vegetable broth, is what makes up the creamy base of the chilli. You could also use butternut or kabocha squash.
Peppers - I used one green bell pepper as well as a couple of jalapeños for colour and heat. You can use any kind of bell pepper, but the bitterness of the green pepper sort of cuts the sweet squash broth and works very well.
Onion - I used diced white onion for this chilli because it’s one of the more spicy onions, but you can definitely use yellow or purple onion too.
Garlic - Garlic is always a must! You can never have enough in my opinion. I definitely recommend using fresh garlic. It makes all the difference!
Tomatoes - The recipe calls for canned, diced tomatoes but if all you have is fresh tomatoes just chop them up small and they will work great as well. You just may need to let them stew a little longer to break down.
Green chilies - Green chilies is also a must for Mexican chilli! They add a little tang, a little spice and flavour for sure! You can buy these in the international aisle at most grocery stores.
Beans - Because it’s chilli, you can really use whichever beans you prefer. I do think that white beans go well with white meat, so i used some cannellini beans but I also added in some red kidney beans to keep with the classic chilli vibe.
My favourite toppings to add:
Avocado
Sliced green onions
Sour cream
Cojita cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cracked pepper
Turkey and Acorn Squash Chilli
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized acorn squash
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeños, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 27oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 4oz can green chilies
- 1 can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can red kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
- avocado oil, for sautéing
- diced avocado, for topping
- sour cream, for topping,
- shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
- finely chopped green onions, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut open the acorn squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves flesh-side down on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pot, add the avocado oil and ground turkey and cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat into small bits as it cooks.
- Add the onions, garlic, green pepper, jalapeños, chilli powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for another couple minutes.
- Scoop out the flesh of the acorn squash and place it in a blender with 3-4 cups of vegetable broth. Mix on high speed for a minute or so or until it is completely smooth and no chunks remain.
- Pour the squash mixture into the chilli along with the diced tomatoes, green chillies and beans. Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Dish the chilli into bowls and top with diced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar and green onions. Enjoy!