1mediumyellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2Anaheim or Poblano peppers, halved, seeded and chopped (see note)
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
2poundsground turkey
2teaspoonschili powder
2teaspoonscumin
1teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoonground coriander
¼teaspooncayenne pepper, plus more to taste
¼cupall-purpose flour
5cupslow-sodium chicken broth
3 cans(15-ounces each)Great Northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
½cupmilk
2tablespoonsfresh lime juice, from about 1-2 limes
Chopped fresh cilantro and additional lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lay out a large square of aluminum foil. Cut off the tip of the garlic bulb and place it cut-side up on the foil. Drizzle the sliced end with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bring the edges of the foil up to wrap completely. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft and golden (add time as needed).
While the garlic roasts, in a 4-quart saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons water and cover the pot. Let the vegetables sweat and cook for 8-10 minutes, until very soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking (add a teaspoon of water at a time if the pot seems dry).
Increase the heat to medium and add the ground turkey. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease if needed.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, cayenne, and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add 4 cups of the broth (reserve 1 cup for the next step!) and stir to combine.
When the garlic is done roasting, carefully peel back the foil and squeeze the softened, roasted garlic cloves out of the skins and into a blender (if it's very hot, let it cool slightly or grab it with a paper towel). Add the remaining 1 cup broth to the blender along with 1/2 of the beans. Puree the mixture.
Pour the garlic/bean mixture into the pot and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the remaining beans, milk and lime juice and cook until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with additional lime wedges and chopped cilantro, if desired (tortillas chips and cheese are also never a bad idea).
Notes
Peppers: I love the fresh taste of the Anaheim or Poblano (which is my way of saying I haven’t made this with canned green chilis), and both are pretty widely available (I can usually find Poblanos a little easier but Anaheim are my favorite and at least where I buy them, tend to be less spicy than the Poblanos in my supermarket). Spice: speaking of spice, I don’t consider this chili to be spicy; it is mild enough for my whole family to enjoy, but if you think your heat tolerance might be lower, consider decreasing the Anaheim or Poblano peppers to just one.Garlic: you can speed up the recipe by roasting the garlic earlier in the day (or a couple days in advance).