Southwestern Chili

Every cook needs a chili soup standby. Chili without beans, however, can seem incomplete and leaves something to be desired. Using yams provides the heartiness with good carbs. Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro make good garnishes.

Serves 6

2 Tbsp (30 ml) palm oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green pepper, veins and seeds removed, diced

2–3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (serranos if more heat desired)

1 celery stalk, sliced ¼-inch thick

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp (15 ml) chili powder

2½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¾ tsp dried oregano

1 lb (454 g) ground chicken or turkey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (28-ounce) cans diced plum (Roma) tomatoes

1 small yam, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, about 1 cup (240 ml)

Garnishes—Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro

1. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, green pepper, chili peppers, and celery. Sauté, stirring until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and oregano. Sauté, stirring to meld flavors.
2. Increase heat to medium. Add ground turkey, stirring often until brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for thirty minutes or so. Add water if necessary.
3. Add yam and simmer until tender. Adjust seasonings, adding more chili powder if desired. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish and serve.

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Southwestern chili is a big, smoky pot of ground turkey, tomatoes, and peppers with cubes of yam melting into the edges. Fresh jalapeños and a hit of cayenne keep it lively, while the yam quietly sweetens every spoonful. Set out cheese, sour cream, and cilantro and let everyone build their own bowl.

Pro Tips

• Seed the jalapeños for gentle heat, or leave a few ribs in if your table likes fire. Serranos step the whole pot up another notch.
• Brown the ground turkey in batches and let it get real color before adding the tomatoes. Crowded meat steams grey and leaves the chili flat.
• Add the yam only for the final simmer — cubes dropped in too early dissolve into the broth and you lose that sweet potato bite.
• This chili thickens overnight as the starch releases from the yam. Plan on a splash of water when reheating leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Southwestern chili in a slow cooker?

Brown the turkey and sauté the aromatics first, then everything goes in on low for four to six hours. Add the yam in the last hour so it holds its shape.

Is this chili freezer-friendly?

Very much so. Cool it completely and freeze in portions for up to three months. The yam softens slightly on thawing, but the flavor only improves.

What is the best way to garnish this chili?

Monterey jack, sour cream, and cilantro are the classic trio here, and the cool dairy against the cayenne heat is exactly why they work.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Southwestern Chili

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 Tbsp palm oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, veins and seeds removed, diced
• 2–3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (serranos if more heat desired)
• 1 celery stalk, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¾ tsp dried oregano
• 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced plum (Roma) tomatoes
• 1 small yam, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, about 1 cup

Method

 

1. Garnishes—Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro
2. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium.
3. Add onion, green pepper, chili peppers, and celery.
4. Sauté, stirring until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and oregano.
6. Sauté, stirring to meld flavors.
7. Increase heat to medium.
8. Add ground turkey, stirring often until brown.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of water.
11. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for thirty minutes or so.
12. Add water if necessary.
13. Add yam and simmer until tender.
14. Adjust seasonings, adding more chili powder if desired. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish and serve.

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