White Bean Chili with Turkey

This is the smart-cousin version of chili: no ground beef, no tomato base, no fistful of chili powder masking everything else. Lean turkey breast simmers with creamy white beans, tart tomatillos, and roasted green chiles, with cumin and oregano carrying the flavor instead of heat.

There’s a crucial bit of bean science buried in the directions worth pulling out: do not salt the chicken broth. Salt early in the cook toughens the seed coats of the beans and they’ll never fully soften, no matter how long they simmer. Use low-sodium broth and salt only at the end.

The turkey gets cooked in the chili then pulled out and held aside while the beans finish. This is the right call. Otherwise the lean breast meat would dry out over the full 90-minute simmer. It comes back in, diced, only at the end to warm through.

The cilantro yogurt cream is what ties everything together. The cool tang cuts the rich broth and balances the green-chile heat. Don’t skip it.

Like most chilis, this one’s actually better the next day after the flavors meld in the fridge overnight.

Pro Tips

• Quick-soak the beans by boiling for 2 minutes then resting off heat for 90 minutes (as written). Saves the overnight soak.
• Fresh tomatillos give a brighter, greener flavor than canned. Husk and rinse off the sticky residue first.
• A squeeze of fresh lime at the table wakes up the entire bowl.
• Make a big batch. It freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

Variations

• Swap turkey for shredded rotisserie chicken added at the end to save an hour of cook time.
• Use Great Northern, navy, or cannellini beans interchangeably.
• Top with crumbled queso fresco and crushed tortilla chips instead of cheddar for a more authentic finish.