Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili

What’s not to love about a good ol’ bowl of hearty & delicious Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili!?

When the weather turns cold, warming up with a bowl of chili is about as good as it gets!

Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili is one of my go-to recipes and has been for quite some time. In fact, it was one of the very first recipes I shared on my Facebook page. Before The Real Food RDs’ blog even existed and before I even knew Jess. It’s aways fun to look back and see how far we’ve come and the community we have grown. In less than 2 years, we’ve gone from a blog that didn’t exist to one that accumulates around 1 million views/month. Crazy, huh?! 

Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili is everything you need, all in one bowl.

One thing I love about this Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili is that not only is it loaded with veggies and my hubby will eat it (picky eater approved) BUT that it’s a complete meal. It has everything you need including quality protein, tons of veggies, 9 g of fiber per serving and an adequate source of healthy fats when topped with avocado <– which I highly recommend. You can up the ante on veggies even more by serving it over a bed of greens or add heartiness by serving it over a baked sweet potato or winter squash, a heavenly combination if I’d say so myself. Additionally, this recipe is freezer-friendly so if you’re looking to stock your freezer with some easy meal options, go ahead and double this recipe. I like to freeze this chili in 1 1/2 cup servings so that I can reheat just what I need.

Pre-chop the veggies, yo!

If you pre-chop the veggies the day or two before, you can save a considerable amount of time and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Woot! We’re all about easy weeknight meals and if you’re a consistent reader of our blog, you know we’re fans of weekend meal prepping. Pre-chopping veggies makes for a big time saver during the week.

All.the.toppings!

The world is your oyster when it comes to topping your bowl of Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili. There are so many options including some of my faves – avocado or guacamole, cilantro, chopped jicama, fried plantains, Kalona SuperNatural sour cream, cheddar cheese, Jalapeños and Jackson’s Honest crushed chips. You do you!

And if you love this recipe, I also recommend you give our Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili or our Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili recipe a try!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili

When the weather turns cold, warming up with a bowl of Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili is about as good as it gets!

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: Serves 6 1x
• Category: Entree | Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey, beef or chicken
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small zucchini or yellow squash, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. cumin, ground
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce + 1/2 can of water or broth (increase to 1 full can for Instant Pot)
• 1 can (15 ounces) Crushed or petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn, frozen
• Dash of Cayenne (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: Diced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt and/or lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Stovetop

1. In a large pot or soup kettle over medium heat add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ground meat, garlic, onions, bell peppers, zucchini or yellow squash, and carrots and sauté for 7-9 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
2. Add seasonings, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beans, corn, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve with toppings of choice.

Instant Pot

1. Select ‘Saute’ on the Instant Pot. Add oil and when oil is hot, add ground turkey. Use a spoon to break up the meat and saute 7-8 minutes or until turkey is almost cooked through.
2. Add garlic, onions, bell peppers, zucchini or yellow squash, and carrots and sauté for an additional 5 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, cayenne (if using) and 1 can of water or broth.
4. Stir, lock lid into place and set vent valve to ‘Sealing’ position.
5. Select ‘Manual’ or ‘High Pressure’ setting and cook for 10 minutes. Allow for 5 minutes natural pressure release before flipping the valve to venting to release the remaining steam.
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Serve with additional toppings, as desired.

Slow Cooker

1. Follow directions for Stovetop version through Step 1. Add turkey and vegetable mixture to slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and stir to combine.
3. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Notes

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 ⅓ cups
• Calories: 283
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 575mg
• Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 33g
• Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 22g

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she and her husband reside on 5 acres with their two pups, Walter & Lucy. She’s a creator of simple and wholesome recipes, a lover of nature, a crossfitter, a seasonal runner, and she’s on a mission to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life from the inside out.