A robust chili that’s on the table in just 30 minutes? Thanks to a blending of Hispanic and Asian flavors, it’s easy.
I started with the base of an average turkey chili — some onions, jalapenos, garlic, ground turkey and white beans. Nothing unexpected there. But all those basics get a serious flavor boost from an unexpected ingredient — sweet white miso. It’s the same stuff used in the soup you slurp at the sushi bar.
Miso is an underappreciated ingredient. It effortlessly amps the savory-salty flavor of anything it touches, particularly in wet rubs and other sauces for meat. In this recipe, it replicates in just minutes a depth of flavor you’d normally need a long simmer to attain. And don’t be put off by the “sweet” in the name. Sweet white miso isn’t really sweet, just milder than darker miso.
The chili is finished with corn kernels cut from the cob and just barely heated, preserving their fresh flavor and texture. And to tie everything together, the chili is finished with cilantro and lime juice.
TURKEY AND CORN CHILI WITH SWEET WHITE MISO
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Makes 8 servings
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 to 2 jalapeno chilies, finely chopped (for less heat, discard the inner ribs and seeds)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 pounds (40 ounces) lean ground turkey
15-ounce can white kidney or navy beans, drained
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet white miso
6 ears corn, husks and silk removed (or 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve
Nutrition information per serving: 370 calories; 120 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 80 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 36 g protein; 610 mg sodium.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.