RECIPE: Turkey Chili with Fresh Pesto
This is a variation on my Turkey Pesto Corn Chili recipe. It’s thicker, and has much more pesto flavor, which might sound like an odd ingredient for a Mexican dish, but it’s not — it’s really yummy!
Ingredients:
1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 cup water (or use the cooking liquid from the pintos)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 med-lg onion, white or yellow, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 can chopped stewed tomatoes
1/2 can (3 oz) tomato paste
1/2 jar red pasta sauce
12 oz (1 can) low-sodium V-8 juice
1/4 cup fresh pesto
Chili powder to taste
Directions:
Cook beans in enough water to cover over medium heat for 2-2.5 hours, or until done. With slotted spoon, transfer to large chili pot, then add 1 cup cooking liquid. (If using canned beans, drain and use 1 cup water.)
Brown onion and garlic in olive oil. Add to soup pot, then brown turkey in same skillet used for onion.
Add pesto, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and V-8 to chili pot. Season with chili powder. Heat on medium.
When turkey is cooked, add to chili pot and heat thoroughly. Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped onions, etc., and serve with cornbread.
Serving Notes:
Makes about 7 servings of 400 g each. I like to freeze leftovers, so generally make a double recipe, which is also easier on the proportions — you can use a whole jar of pasta sauce, and a whole can of tomato paste. If you do make a larger recipe, though, make sure you have a very large soup/chili pot, and a lot of freezer containers on hand!
