Roasted Garlic and White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 large bulb garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 Anaheim or Poblano peppers, halved, seeded and chopped (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cans (15-ounces each) Great Northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 1-2 limes
- Chopped fresh cilantro and additional lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lay out a large square of aluminum foil. Cut off the tip of the garlic bulb and place it cut-side up on the foil. Drizzle the sliced end with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bring the edges of the foil up to wrap completely. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft and golden (add time as needed).
- While the garlic roasts, in a 4-quart saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons water and cover the pot. Let the vegetables sweat and cook for 8-10 minutes, until very soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking (add a teaspoon of water at a time if the pot seems dry).
- Increase the heat to medium and add the ground turkey. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease if needed.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, cayenne, and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups of the broth (reserve 1 cup for the next step!) and stir to combine.
- When the garlic is done roasting, carefully peel back the foil and squeeze the softened, roasted garlic cloves out of the skins and into a blender (if it's very hot, let it cool slightly or grab it with a paper towel). Add the remaining 1 cup broth to the blender along with 1/2 of the beans. Puree the mixture.
- Pour the garlic/bean mixture into the pot and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the remaining beans, milk and lime juice and cook until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with additional lime wedges and chopped cilantro, if desired (tortillas chips and cheese are also never a bad idea).
Notes
Peppers: I love the fresh taste of the Anaheim or Poblano (which is my way of saying I haven’t made this with canned green chilis), and both are pretty widely available (I can usually find Poblanos a little easier but Anaheim are my favorite and at least where I buy them, tend to be less spicy than the Poblanos in my supermarket).
Spice: speaking of spice, I don’t consider this chili to be spicy; it is mild enough for my whole family to enjoy, but if you think your heat tolerance might be lower, consider decreasing the Anaheim or Poblano peppers to just one.
Garlic: you can speed up the recipe by roasting the garlic earlier in the day (or a couple days in advance).