White Bean and Turkey Chili

Because my tomato allergy prohibits me from eating real chili, I thought a white chili would be fun to try. I started with this recipe and made a few alterations to fit what I had on hand.

White Bean and Turkey Chili

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15oz) cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch (about 1 lb) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Amanda's Analysis:
This chili was excellent! It was flavorful and had a bit of a kick, and made me forget about missing tomato based chili. It was fun to work with a ingredient, Swiss chard. The leftovers were just as tasty as the first time, although it did thicken up quite a bit. I will most definitely make this again. I give this chili 7 spoons!

John's Jibba-Jabba:
Sometimes pictures cannot do certain dishes justice and this is definitely one of those circumstances. Just looking at the photo above does not conjure up delectable thoughts but I must say that in this case appearances are most certainly deceiving. This chili was fantastic. Even the Swiss chard which I was very wary about turned out great. While it would never make me forget tomato based chili, it still deserves 7 spoons!