White Bean Chili | Blogger C.L.U.E. Society

Happy New Year!  I can’t seem to say it enough.  I am looking forward to a great year ahead.  A lot of folks vow to eat healthier and exercise more.  That is a motto I always like to follow even if it is a not new year.  Do I always practice?  I wish the answer was yes, but I do pretty well, not perfect. 

Speaking of healthy, that is our theme for this month’s edition of Blogger C.L.U.E. Society – “Eat Healthy”.  This month I was matched with Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch.  She lives in the Denver area and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She loves cooking, wine and talking about both – my kind of friend. Lea Ann can cook.  If we lived closer, I can tell we would be fast friends.  She has a vast abundance of tasty recipes on her site which made this challenge a challenge. Since it has been chilly here in the Bay Area and El Nino has finally hit – YEAH – I thought a healthy soup would be perfect.

I decided to make her White Bean Chili that originally came from Giada.  After reviewing the ingredients, I made a few changes to put my stamp on this tasty recipe.  I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and omitted the corn.  I increased the spices and eliminated the fennel seed simply because I forgot to buy it at the store.  I garnished with sour cream (since hubby loves sour cream), cilantro and avocado – also a hint of fresh lime.  It did not call for any sort of tomato like a traditional chili, but I certainly did not miss it.  The end result was nothing short of excellent. Thank you Lea Ann for this wonderful recipe!

White Bean Chili

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, medium dice

6 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 lbs Ground Turkey

1 teaspoon Salt

3 Tablespoons Ground Cumin

1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 (15 oz cans) Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped

4 Cups Chicken Stock

¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Garnish

Sour Cream, Cilantro, Lime and Avocado

In a large Dutch oven or alike, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon of salt, cumin, oregano and chili powder.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Stir the flour into the turkey mixture.  Add the beans, Swiss chard and chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Simmer for 55 to 60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened.

Add the red pepper flakes and simmer another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls and garnish with sour cream, cilantro and sliced avocados.  Squeeze a bit of lime on top.  Enjoy!

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