Chili is one of those recipes I think all people need to have up their sleeve. Once you understand the basics of the soup, you can customize it to your liking or adapt it with whatever you have in your kitchen. I like to make my chili with five basic fundamentals: meat, onions, beans, diced tomatoes and spices. From there you can go as simple or as gourmet as you like. If you watch my latest Gourmet Gab: On the Go episode, you’ll notice I sneak in a little something extra to add flavor to the chili: red wine! I use it to deglaze the pan and it adds a beautiful rich flavor to the soup. The soup could easily go without that, or you can swap it with beer, or even just a little extra broth.

Growing up, my mom would always make her turkey chili for neighborhood potlucks and gatherings. Since then, I have always used turkey as my ground meat of choice. You could easily swap ground beef in your version, or make it vegetarian by adding extra veggies instead! The thing with chili is there’s no right or wrong way to make it. You can find thousands of different versions online and just have to decide a favorite. I am fairly confident the Gourmet Gab version may be up there for you — it’s the perfect combination of simple and delicious. I would love to hear what you think of the recipe and what your favorite additions are to chili. Comment below!

Easy Turkey Chili

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine (or beer)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans beans (black, red or cannelloni), drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toppings of choice (optional): cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

1. Over medium high heat, warm about 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Once pan is hot, add ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
2. While turkey is cooking, dice onion and garlic.
3. Once turkey is browned, remove from pan and spoon onto a plate.
4. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and diced onion to the pan. Cook until translucent and slightly golden brown. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.
5. Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
6. Add red wine to onions.  Be careful! It may steam quickly. Let mixture simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until red wine liquid has reduced. Use your cooking spoon to gently scrape what is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
7. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth and beans to pot. Stir all together.
8. Turn heat up to high and bring mixture to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer chili for 15-20 minutes.
9. Spoon into bowl and top with cilantro, cheese, etc.
10. Store leftovers in the fridge for three to four days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela