My new favorite chili recipe, this Paleo Roasted Butternut and Turkey Chili is sure to be yours, too! Packed with protein and tons of veggies- you won’t miss the beans! Whole30 approved.
Xander experienced his first snow this week. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Being back in Oregon has been a bit difficult for us! When we were here over the summer, he spent hours playing outside every day. He remembers his swing and slide and all the fun things in Grandma’s backyard, and he cries at the backdoor in the evenings, not understanding why we aren’t jumping up to take him out to play.
It’s dark at 4:30. And freezing!
We have been filling our mornings with play gyms and the library. He needs to get out his energy and see other kids! And then in the evenings, it’s out again once it’s dark, whether it’s just to the store (1 year olds are actually relatively easy to please!) or to another indoor play area.
After his nap in the afternoon, we have been getting out to go for walks around the neighborhood. We have a short window before it gets dark, but it’s nice to get some fresh air. It’s hard to just stand at the park because I’m not used to the cold, but I can handle the walks.
We’ve been coming home (freezing cold) to this chili recipe, and I have to say, it’s my favorite to date. I have posted a Roasted Eggplant Vegetarian Chili, and a Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili— but there is just something about this Paleo Roasted Butternut and Turkey Chili that really hits the spot. It’s packed with protein and delicious, sweet roasted vegetables, and makes the perfect low carb dinner.
I love comforting low carb dinners like this in the winter, when it’s so easy to pack on a few extra pounds by eating comforting high carb meals 🙂
Tips for Roasted Butternut and Turkey Chili
- Chili powders can range in spiciness– so I always like to start with about half of what a recipe calls for, and then add more in. The chili powder I use in this recipe is pretty mild. If yours is spicy, you might only need half. I use Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon in my soups/stews because I love the flavor. It has sea salt added to it. If you use a different broth or bouillon, you might need to adjust the amount of salt added.
- I roast the veggies prior to adding them to this chili- yes, it’s an extra step- but I have never been really happy with butternut squash or sweet potatoes added directly into soups and stews. The roasting step really doesn’t take very much time (and if you line your cooking sheet with baking paper, it’s really not a problem to clean up either!), and it really enchances the sweetness of the squash.
- For the Family: Xander loves spicy foods, so he eats this just how it is. It isn’t very spicy- I use hotsauce to spice it up for myself. If your young ones are sensitive to spice, consider adding just half the amount of chili powder first, and then testing it before adding more.
Yields 8 servings
This paleo and Whole30 approved chili recipe is the perfect comfort food to warm up to. Full of sweet roasted butternut squash and lean protein, and lightly spicy so the whole family can enjoy. We like to serve ours topped with cilantro and a few sweet potato tortilla chips. This recipe makes a large pot, so you can freeze leftovers or enjoy them for lunch.
20 minPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
1 hr, 20 Total Time
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Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1-8 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon (2 cubes)
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 bell peppers (I used a green and a yellow)
- 1 large zucchini
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and onion. Sauté onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add spice and sea salt.
- Add ground turkey, and mix to combine with spices and onion. Sauté for another 10 minutes, until turkey has begun to brown.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water and vegetable bouillon. Turn heat up to bring to a low simmer, then reduce heat to medium low and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- While the turkey is simmering, peel and chop butternut squash in dice sized cubes. Chop peppers and zucchini in small pieces. Add all the vegetables to a cookie sheet, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and lightly season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Roast veggies for 15 minutes. This will not full cook the vegetables, but will soften them and give them charred pieces.
- Add the roasted veggies to turkey and tomato mixture, and continue to simmer another 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are the desired texture.
- Serve garnished with cilantro, cheese, hot sauce or sour cream.
Notes
See notes in post regarding seasonings.
Nutritional data for Paleo Roasted Butternut and Turkey Chili and images courtesy of www.NutritionData.com.
Other Chili Recipes:
- Southwestern Chili with Bison Meatballs, by Simply Fresh Dinners
- Quinoa Chili, by iFoodReal
- Roasted Eggplant Chili, by Vitamin Sunshine
- Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili, by Vitamin Sunshine
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