Coconut Milk Turkey Chili

Coconut Milk Turkey Chili  ~ InstantPot recipe

  Tis the season for warm chili with lots of flavor and spices.  I like making chili because it is very easy to make, plus you can stick all kinds of extra veggies and protein in it to make a full heart meal. I used lean turkey meat but you could also use ground beef instead.  The beans are kidney beans, and you can use any kind for extra fiber and protein. I like spice so I added extra green chilies and siracha sauce at the end. Feel free to top it with a dallop of greek yogurt instead of sour cream, or cheese and sliced jalapeno. In this chili I added coconut milk to the sauce, but this isn't necessary.  In fact you can also add pumpkin puree or traditional diced tomatoes instead of the coconut milk for a great tasting chili.

Tip: Adding the spinach at the end helps it retain the green bright color and most of the nutrients.  The spinach will soften in the heat of the cooked chili.

Healthy tip: Beans are high in carbohydrates but mostly complex carbohydrates, due to their high fiber content.  This helps the blood sugar stay balanced, fiber is also good for lowering cholesterol and for colon health.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 package of ground turkey (ground beef or ground chicken would work too)
• 1 small can of green chilies
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup chopped carrots or baby carrots
• 1/4 cup coconut milk, or 1 can of diced tomatoes or 1/2 can of pumpkin puree
• 3 Tbsp of chili powder, 1 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp cumin spice, 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Optional toppings: hot sauce, greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced avocado

Recipe:

1. Put all ingredients except for the spinach and toppings in the Instant Pot.  Cook for 25 minutes.  Slow cooker instructions: cook on low for 3-4 hours. 
2. Add the end, place the spinach into the chili and stir all ingredients.  The spinach will cook fast while the chili is hot.
3. Add the toppings before serving.  Enjoy, super simple and easy!