Turkey Veggie Chili

Still in San Diego, and wanting a little something spicy, but healthy, I opted for an easy chili.

As I've mentioned, I'm without many conveniences of home, such as my spice rack, so I relied upon an old favorite, McCormick's Original Chili seasoning. I've also been using ground turkey instead of beef or pork for health reasons, and this time I wanted to amp up the vegetable content for a more nutritious all-around meal, so I included a rainbow assortment for the most impact.

I also used a secret ingredient:

Sure. V8 may seem a little odd with so many other fresh ingredients, but when you're in a pinch for added liquid in a chili or other tomato-based soup, it's a great stand-in. I actually used it once in an emergency for just that purpose and found it to be so good that I use it most times I make chili. This is especially easy to do when my husband is on a V8 drinking kick, like he is now, so we have it in the fridge a lot. Here's how it all comes together:

Turkey Veggie Chili

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound of ground turkey
1 packet of McCormick's Original Chili seasoning (plus pinches of crushed red pepper seeds, as needed)
1 can Red Kidney Beans, well rinsed and drained
1 small zuchini, finely chopped
1 small summer squash, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes in sauce/juice (I prefer fresh tomatoes, but selection was very poor at market)
3 cups of V8 Low Sodium Vegetable Juice (or enough to just cover the ingredients)
Shredded cheese for topping and tortilla chips for dipping, as desired

In a large sauce/soup pot, cook onions and red bell papper in olive oil over medium low heat until soft. About 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add ground turkey, breaking it up as you move it around the pan. Sprinkle in chili seasoning while turkey is cooking. When turkey has cooked through, reduce heat to medium low.

(If you need a little snack before the chili is finished, you can spoon out some of this mixture into a soft taco shell with a little shredded cheese before proceeding).

Now, it's time to add everything else. I usually start with the canned tomatoes since the pot tends to be screaming for some liquid at this point. Then, fold in the rest of the veggies/beans and top off with enough juice to cover all the ingredients. In case you're wondering, I don't add the other veggies until this point because I don't want to chance them breaking down too much during the initial saute process. It's a personal preference.

Simmer the chili uncovered over very low heat for as long as you can to allow the flavors to combine.

I cooked this one for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, and it reduced quite a bit.

I had some sharp cheddar cheese in the house and white corn tortilla chips, so that's what the hubby got with his Turkey Veggie Chili. He said it was terrific, especially with the added veggies. You be the judge if a rainbow of chopped veggies make a better chili!