Turkey and Butternut Squash Chili

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While we are not vegetarians, we do stick to a mostly plant-based diet. And we are always looking for tasty ways to displace at least some meat with vegetables. In this recipe we add cubed butternut squash, along with pinto beans, to ground turkey for a warming bowl of chili. It has become one of my favorite cold weather comfort dishes. Ancho chili powder, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, cumin and cocoa powder combine for a savory heat that doesn’t burn or linger. We make a spicy paste in the blender with a secret ingredient: raw cashews. They lend the mouth-filling richness you expect in chili that usually comes from beef.

MAKES: 6 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 1.5 Hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Chicken Magic Mineral Broth

• 1/4 cup raw cashews

• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce (more chile or sauce to taste)

• 1 Tablespoon chili powder (preferably ancho), or more to taste

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound ground turkey

• 1 small butternut squash, diced small (from a 1 1/2 pound squash)

• 2 medium onions, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced (more to taste)

• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped

• 1 14.5 ounce can no salt added pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

• Lime wedges, for serving

• Green onions, thinly sliced whites and light green parts, for serving

 DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the Chicken Magic Mineral Broth, cashews, chipotle and adobo sauce and the chili powder in a blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the ground turkey and cook, stirring to break up any large clumps. The meat should be cooked through, with no traces of pink, about 12 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the squash, onions, garlic, cumin, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened.

4. Add the cashew puree, pinto beans and the tomatoes and their juices, stirring to incorporate. Increase the heat to high, long enough to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low or just enough to maintain a steady bubble at the edges. Partially cover and cook for 35 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Uncover and stir in the cilantro.

5. Serve with lime wedges, green onions and more cilantro, if desired.