Chili is staple in many households, pubs, bars, and restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good bowl of chili with traditional seasonings but this recipe turns chili on it’s head. Thank you to Molly Baz, mollybaz.com and cookbook author of Cook this Book and More is More. Instead of topping the chili with cheese and sour cream, Molly uses sizzled mint, pickled onions and yogurt. I think that sums up the flavor difference. This chili moves away from the traditional spices, having a middle eastern vibe which I LOVE! I agree, the ingredient and directions are longer than most of our recipes but hear me out. The steps are easy, you’ll make enough to freeze, and I promise you, it’s worth the extra steps. If you make nothing else, definitely make the mint oil with dried mint and olive oil. You will want to drizzle this in everything!
Not Your Average Chili
Ingredients
CHILI
2 large red onions
3 inch piece ginger
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 -2 pounds 93% ground turkey or lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons dried mint, divided 1 T for chili and 3 T for mint oil garnish
1/4 cup harissa paste (Note: I used Mina mild harissa but most harissa paste is hot and spicy so you may need less)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 15-ounce can cherry tomatoes and liquid (or canned chopped tomatoes)
3 15-ounce cans beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini, white beans, pinto beans, kidney, garbanzo beans)
1 small cinnamon stick or 1/2 a large stick
2 dried bay leaves
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
1 package baby spinach or frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Kosher salt and pepper
GARNISHES
Quick Pickled Onion
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Fried Mint
3 tablespoons dried mint (listed in chili ingredients)
1/3 cup olive oil
Plain yogurt for serving
Directions
- For the chili: Coarsely chop 1 1/2 red onion and set 1/2 onion aside for garnish. Coarsely chop ginger and smash the garlic cloves. Add the onions to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Remove and place in a bowl. Add the ginger and garlic to the food processor and pulse to finely chop. Transfer to a separate bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Take the ground turkey and form 4, shaggy patties. Add the patties to the Dutch oven and brown on both sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onions to the pot with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sweat onions for about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, 1 tablespoon dried mint, and harissa paste. Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and scrape up bits on bottom of pot. Return meat to pot, breaking it up into small pieces. Stir in cherry tomatoes, beans, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, broth, and spinach. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Simmer, low, for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Garnishes
- Pickled onion: Thinly slice remaining 1/2 red onion. Place in a medium glass bowl. Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Stir until salt dissolves and set aside.
- Mint oil: In a small sauce pan, add 1/3 cup olive oil. Heat over medium and add 3 tablespoons dried mint. Once it sizzling, about a minute, remove from heat.
Assemble
- Top chili with pickled onion slices, a dollop of plain yogurt and a drizzle of mint oil.
Note: I have not made a vegetarian version of this chili but I’d like to give it a try. I would suggest using bulgur or textured vegetable protein (dehydrated soy nuggets) for the ground turkey.
Adapted from a recipe from Molly Baz. For the original recipes, checkout Spiced Chili with Many Beans.
judymatusky.com