Pumpkin Patch Chili with Turkey, Beans, and Bread Bowls

A Halloween dinner main built around turkey chili with pumpkin puree for color and body. The chili is simmered until thick, then served in toasted bread bowls with cheddar on top. The pumpkin stays subtle rather than dessert-like, supporting a familiar chili profile.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 15 ml olive oil divided
• 150 g yellow onion small dice
• 80 g celery small dice
• 3 g kosher salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 12 g garlic minced
• 450 g ground turkey
• 15 ml olive oil divided
• 12 g chili powder
• 4 g ground cumin
• 4 g smoked paprika
• 2 g dried oregano
• 30 g tomato paste
• 5 g kosher salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 240 g pumpkin puree
• 400 g diced tomatoes with juices
• 240 g tomato sauce
• 480 ml vegetable broth
• 240 g kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 240 g black beans drained and rinsed
• 10 g brown sugar
• 15 ml apple cider vinegar
• 4 each bread bowls small, hollowed
• 80 g shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat 15 ml of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery with 3 g of the salt and 1 g of the black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. The onion is translucent and the celery has softened without browning.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the ground turkey and break it up. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. The turkey is fully opaque and crumbly, with no visible pink remaining.
3. Stir in the remaining 15 ml olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, tomato paste, and the remaining 5 g salt and 1 g black pepper. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices and deepen the tomato flavor. The mixture smells fragrant and the tomato paste looks darker and sticky.
4. Add the pumpkin puree, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, kidney beans, black beans, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well, then bring to a steady simmer. The pot reaches an active simmer with bubbles breaking across the surface.
5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors meld, about 18 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, using a pinch from the pot's seasoned base only if you prefer a slightly saltier finish. The chili is thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon and the beans are tender throughout.
6. While the chili simmers, toast the bread bowls in a 200 C oven on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the interiors are lightly crisped. The bread bowls are warm and lightly crisp at the edges but not dried out.
7. Ladle the chili into the bread bowls and top evenly with the shredded cheddar cheese. Serve immediately. The cheese begins to soften on contact with the hot chili and the bowls hold their shape.