Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Summer Chili
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Use vegetables from the farmer’s market in this comforting Summer Chili with turkey. This healthy vegetable chili with summer squash is ideal for a summer evening.
One of my favorite things to buy at summer markets are fresh veggies like zucchini. I’ll make our grandma’s zucchini bread any time of the year, but it is especially good in the summer. (And have you tried our peanut butter zucchini bread yet? It’s amazing!)
Man cannot live on bread alone…and sometimes we need to be grown ups and use our zucchini in something healthy. That’s where this colorful Summer Chili comes in.
Just think…go to the farmer’s market…pick up veggies…and use them right away to make summer chili. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
Vegetables for Summer Chili
So what vegetables should you pick up at the market?
- corn on the cob
- bell peppers
- zucchini or yellow squash
- onion
- jalapeno
- cilantro (for topping)
- just about any other veggie!
How to Make Summer Chili
- Start by chopping all of the veggies first.
A few hints for prepping the veggies:
- For the tomatoes, the kids request that I take the peel off. To remove the skin off of fresh tomatoes, drop them in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the skin peels easily off. Do you have to peel tomatoes for soup? Nope. It’s totally a preference.
- You don’t need to cook the corn first since it will cook in the soup. Just cut the corn kernels off the cob. If you have leftover corn on the cob that’s already cooked, however, you can use it in this recipe.
- Dice the jalapeño, onions and bell peppers really small.
- Quarter the zucchinis and slice them. No need to peel the zucchini.
- Drain the beans and rinse them well.
- Brown the ground turkey in a large dutch oven. After it is crumbled and browned, remove the meat, but don’t drain off the fat. You’ll use that to cook the veggies in.
- Add onions, peppers and zucchini to the pot. Sautè til tender, then add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the meat back to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Then stir and the summer chili is ready to serve!
**Need a dutch oven? This is a beautiful one that we love!**
Recipe Variations
- Want the summer chili more spicy? Add more chili powder or even a touch of cayenne pepper. In our classic chili recipe we use ½ cup of chili powder. It sounds crazy, but everyone loves it!
- Use ground beef, turkey, chicken…or even leave the meat out for a vegetarian chili recipe. Add black beans or kidney beans for protein.
- Don’t have fresh veggies? Use canned corn (or frozen corn) or canned diced tomatoes.
Chili Toppings
Normally we load our summer vegetable chili with cheddar cheese, yellow onions and sour cream.
For this summer chili recipe, we simply add a touch of freshly snipped cilantro or any other fresh herbs we have in our garden.
Summer Chili
Use summer vegetables from the farmer's market in this comforting Summer Chili. This healthy vegetable chili with summer squash is ideal for a summer dinner.
Servings 8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 cup bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (minced)
- 1 cup zucchini (chopped)
- 1 cup yellow zucchini (chopped)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 15 ounces pinto beans (1 can)
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomato (skins removed or canned tomatoes)
- 2 corn cobs (no need to cook it, just cut it off the cob)
- 1 cup water
- fresh cilantro (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables as described above.
- In a large dutch oven or saucepan, cook the turkey over medium heat until thoroughly cooked through. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Do not drain.
- Using the same dutch oven or pan, cook the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and zucchini until tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for two minutes.
- Return the meat to the pan and add the remaining ingredients.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 35 minutes over medium low heat.
- When finished, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
Notes
- This is a very forgiving recipe, adjust the quantities as needed and feel free to play around with additional farmers market finds!
- To remove the skin off of fresh tomatoes, drop them in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the skin peels easily off. Use canned tomatoes if necessary. Fire-roasted canned tomatoes give a great flavor.
- In a pinch, you can use canned corn or frozen corn.
- This recipe freezes very well. Make a double batch and store leftovers in freezer bags or another airtight container for an easy meal when back to school gets busy.
- If you like your chili extra spicy, add more chili powder and possibly some cayenne for an extra kick.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 972mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1395IU | Vitamin C: 46.4mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3.9mg
This is delicious! I’ve made it twice now, once with turkey/chipotle powder and the other with ground pork/chili powder/black bean. Both are colourful and very tasty! Thanks for the great recipe!
Drain the beans?