One of the first recipes I shared on this blog was for Chicken Chili with White Beans and Chipotles, something that had been hiding in my recipe folder since 2004. And it was delicious. I believe I mentioned that I would be making this many more times in the future. And of course, because I rarely make the same things twice, I never did. And that is just a shame, which I had to rectify when I found myself, after Thanksgiving, with a LOT of leftover turkey.
This chili was just as tasty with turkey instead of chicken; in fact, maybe even more so. So if you’re finding yourself with leftover turkey after Christmas, I’d highly recommend experimenting with this recipe. If you don’t have leftover turkey (or leftover chicken) you can still cook up this tasty and very easy chili: My original post details what do when you’re starting with uncooked poultry.
Chili is generally a pretty low-effort food to prepare, and this one, especially if you’re starting with leftovers, is even easier than most. You are basically just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot and cooking it for awhile. I start by sauteeing in onions and chilis, but you probably don’t even have to do that if you don’t want to.
White Bean Chili with Turkey (or Chicken)
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1/2 a large white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 small can of chopped green chiles
- 1 or 2 canned chipotles, chopped
- 1 tsp. adobo sauce from the chipotles
- 2 14-ounce cans of white beans
- about 2 1/2 c. cooked, shredded turkey or chicken
- 2 c. turkey or chicken stock
- salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until the onion is just beginning to become translucent. Add the cumin and stir for another minute or so. Then add everything else and stir to combine. Heat over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes. And there you have it: chili. Simple.
I had some lovely, lovely queso fresco to top this chili with, and it was perfect. It added just the right salty and cool edge to the spicy chili, and melted just a bit in the broth. I love queso fresco. And I love this chili. I think I will most definitely make this again. In another two years, knowing me. But you, you should try it out right now. Especially if it’s cold and wet where you are (which seems to be everywhere in the northern hemisphere, these days). And especially if you have leftover turkey.