Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili

This black bean chili is a breeze to prepare, makes enough for a crowd or multiple meals, and freezes well. Don’t be turned off by the ingredient list – trust me, it all comes together very quickly. I love one-pot, healthy meals that you can jazz up with condiments such as sliced jalapeños, onions, canned diced green chilis, cilantro or parsley, cheese, full fat Greek yogurt, diced red peppers, etc. You can use lean ground chicken or beef instead of turkey. And to make it vegan, crumble a block of extra firm tofu and add it to the pot at step 2 after cooking the onions with the garlic and bay leaf. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed or coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

2 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 16-ounce cans fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen corn kernels

Optional: 3 cups of chopped kale

1 Tbsp chili powder, or more to taste

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp smoked (or regular) paprika 

2 tsp salt, or to taste

Optional garnish: chopped purple onion, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, Greek yogurt or sour cream, shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté turkey, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in the olive oil for about 8 minutes until turkey is cooked and onion is translucent, stirring every couple of minutes. 
2. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, optional kale, chili powder, thyme, paprika, and salt. Cover then bring to a boil over high heat then lower heat to low-medium (or low) to simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes adding a ¼ cup of water at a time if it looks dry. 
3. Serve with optional garnish.

Note: photo from Budget Bytes.