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a cup of chili with shredded cheese on top

Heart-Healthy Low-Sodium Turkey Chili

A fresh, flavourful chili with minimal sodium and maximum flavour. Fill your deep freeze for quick meals to warm you through the winter.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 cups
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb (454 g) ground turkey
  • 2 onions
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp chili powder *
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 can (5.5 oz / 156 mL) tomato paste *
  • 2 cans (28 oz / 796 mL) diced tomatoes, no-salt-added, with juice
  • 2 cans (19 oz / 540 mL) red kidney beans, no-salt-added
  • 2 cups corn kernels, frozen or canned, no-salt-added
  • ½ cup prepared salsa *
  • 1 tsp hot sauce *
Suggested Toppings
  • avocado, chopped
  • green onion, sliced
  • jalapeno peppers, chopped
  • cilantro, minced
  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • sour cream

Method
 

  1. In large pot, brown ground turkey in olive oil.
  2. While the turkey is cooking, chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you go. Then slice the celery and mince the garlic, adding them as you go.
  3. While the turkey finishes cooking, open the cans. Drain and rinse the beans and if needed, canned corn.
  4. When the turkey is just cooked through, add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for a minute more.
  5. Add the tomato paste and cook for another few minutes, stirring frequently, until it's a deeper, browner red.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or more.
  7. Partway through simmering, stir and have a taste. Adjust seasonings until you're happy. (See the article above for suggestions.) Let it bubble away a bit longer and the flavours will come together beautifully.
  8. Serve with your choice of topping(s).

Notes

* Check the labels when shopping for these ingredients, to find the lowest-sodium options. 
(1) If you use veggie ground round instead of turkey, you don't have to brown it. Add it later, along with the tomatoes, beans, and other ingredients. 
(2) Note that the cheese on top will add sodium -- about 100 mg for each two tablespoons.
(3) This recipe is based on the "Easy Pleasin’ Chili" that came with Sunbeam slow cookers a million years ago. 
(4) To do it in a slow cooker: Brown the turkey with the onion, celery, garlic, spices, and tomato paste in a frying pan, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. 
To use an Instant Pot: Brown the turkey with the onion, celery, garlic, spices, and tomato paste on the saute function, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook under pressure for 20 minutes and then simmer on the "warm" function until you're ready to eat.