This turkey lentil chili has a butternut squash-infused broth filled with lentils, chickpeas, ground turkey, and chunks of freshly roasted butternut squash. It's basically the perfect fall meal!
The moment the air get that first morning chill, I immediately crave a hearty bowl of chili. My go-to for years has been a thick and beefy beanless chili, but it's nice to have a backup favorite, and this lentil chili just screams fall flavors. It would be a crime to serve it with anything other than buttermilk cornbread or sweet corn cake. For a similar soup that's just as filling, try this butternut squash and sweet potato soup.
What You'll Need
There aren't many ingredients needed to make this turkey lentil chili. There are 8 ingredients (we're not counting the salt, pepper, or oil) with two more that are optional (chili oil and pumpkin seeds). And because we use canned beans, it comes together quickly without much hands-on time.
- butternut squash
- canned chickpeas
- canned kidney beans
- red lentils
- onion
- chicken broth
- olive oil
- garlic
- ground turkey
- salt and pepper
- chili oil (optional)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (I use a seasoned version from Trader Joe's)
How to Make Turkey Lentil Chili
The only chopping necessary for lentil chili is one onion and one clove of garlic. Roasting the butternut squash and remaining onions gives it a wonderful depth of flavor despite only simmering for 30 minutes!
- Prepare your ingredients (mise en place): Quarter the butternut squash and scrape out the seeds. Quarter three onions and chop the fourth. Remove 4 garlic cloves from their skins and mince just one. Your prep is done, so let's get cooking!
- Place the quartered butternut squash and the quartered onions in one layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (use more than one sheet pan if necessary). Brush the veggies with a little olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven to roast at 400°F for about 30-40 minutes, or until they're soft and cooked through and starting to brown.
- Once the squash and onions are roasted, allow them to cool for about 20 minutes. Reserve two quarters of the squash and scrape the meat from the remaining butternut squash quarters into a food processor or high-powered blender (you may need to do this in 2 batches if your food processor/blender isn't big enough).
- Add the roasted onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and half of the chicken broth, then blend it all until it's very smooth.
- In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it's shimmering. Add the chopped onion and and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining clove of minced garlic and cook for about another minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the ground turkey and cook it until it's just cooked through and no pink remains.
- Now you'll chop the remaining butternut squash into bite-sized pieces. Add it to the pot along with the delicious butternut squash puree, the remaining chicken broth, chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils.
- Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, then season it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve your delicious lentil chili with a drizzle of chili oil and pumpkin seeds as a garnish.
Make It Your Own
We think this turkey lentil chili is perfect as written, but even we like to occasionally switch it up. Here are some ingredients you could add to make it your own:
- Tomato paste: Add about a tablespoon just after sauteeing the onions and garlic. Cook it for a minute or two before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- A can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes: This will add a bit of acidity and will definitely change the overall flavor, but tomatoes are always delicious in a big pot of chili!
- Smoked paprika: Add a teaspoon at the same time you add the minced garlic.
- Chipotle in adobo: This will make it a little smoky and a little spicy. Either mince one chipotle or add just a tablespoon or two of the adobo sauce.
- Soy sauce or tamari: You've heard of the umami flavor? Add a few dashes of soy sauce (not too much!) just to deepen the overall flavors.
- Worcestershire sauce: Same as above. ⬆️
- Jalapeños or poblano peppers: Dice and sauté with the onions if you'd like to add a little heat. Use poblanos for less heat, jalapeños for a little more.
- Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes: You can either add one or both of these with the minced garlic, or serve some at the table so everyone can spice up their own bowls.
- Ancho chili powder or cumin: Same as above. ⬆️
- Lime juice or apple cider vinegar: A tiny amount of either of these just brightens the flavors.
- Fresh cilantro or parsley: These make a gorgeous garnish and add a nice flavor.
- Sweet potatoes or carrots: Dice one or both of these to add more nutrients and make the lentil chili even heartier.
- Coconut milk or a spoonful of Greek yogurt (stirred in at the end): If you prefer a creamier chili, add a little dairy! You can also just serve it at the table.
- Crumbled feta or cotija cheese: Sprinkle some on top of each bowl or serve it at the table.
- Tortilla strips or crushed corn chips: These will add a nice crunch.
Want more topping ideas or ingredient swaps? Ask AI:
Related
Looking for more hearty soup recipes? Try these:
Turkey Lentil Chili with Butternut Squash
Yield:
8-10 servings
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 35 minutes
A healthy, hearty chili with all the flavors of fall in a bowl!
Ingredients
- 2 butternut squash, quartered and de-seeded
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed
- 2 onions (1 quartered and 1 diced)
- 64 ounces chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for brushing on the squash and onion)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 14 ounces ground turkey
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (optional, for drizzling)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (optional, for garnishing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the quartered butternut squash and the quartered onions in one layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (use more than one sheet pan if necessary). Brush the veggies with a little olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven to roast for about 30-40 minutes, or until they're soft and cooked through and starting to brown.
- Once the squash and onions are roasted, allow them to cool for about 20 minutes. Reserve two quarters of the squash and scrape the meat from the remaining butternut squash quarters into a food processor or high-powered blender (you may need to do this in 2 batches if your food processor/blender isn't big enough).
- Add the roasted onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and half of the chicken broth, then blend it all until it's very smooth.
- In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it's shimmering. Add the chopped onion and and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining clove of minced garlic and cook for about another minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the ground turkey and cook it until it's just cooked through and no pink remains.
- Chop the remaining butternut squash into bite-sized pieces. Add it to the pot along with the delicious butternut squash puree, the remaining chicken broth, chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils.
- Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, then season it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and pumpkin seeds as a garnish, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 263Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 929mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 18g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Aubrey Cornelius, also known as the The Blonde Chef, is a food-loving, photo-taking kinda girl and her passion is creating delicious recipes for friends and family to share. As a member of a large family herself and now responsible for cooking for her own family, she understands how important it is to have fresh, healthy food on the table.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
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