This recipe is from the post: Holy Mole, It’s Chili.

Makes 8 servings. 

Cooks note: I usually make this with the bay leaves, but it’s also really good without if you don’t like the taste of bay leaves. Fresh or dry ones will work.

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 each medium red, yellow, orange and green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 large sweet onions or yellow onions, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
3 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced, + 2 tsp of the adobo sauce, reserved
3 tablespoons good quality chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 rounded teaspoon Chinese five spice
1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
pinch red pepper flakes
several grinds of freshly ground black pepper
2 whole bay leaves (optional)
1-16 oz. can no salt dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed well with water, drain again
1-16 oz. can no salt black beans, drained and rinsed well with water, then drained again
1-28 oz can lower sodium whole plum tomatoes and their juice
1-16 oz can no salt diced tomatoes and their juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
1 3/4 oz. bittersweet chocolate 60-75% cocoa, broken into pieces
2 lbs. lean ground turkey breast

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or large heavy stock pot or soup pot over medium high heat. Add the peppers, onions, garlic and chipotle pepper and cook until veggies are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powders, Chinese five spice, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and bay leaves, and stir constantly for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to cook the spices, being careful not to burn.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the adobo sauce, the beans, wine, water and the chocolate, and stir well to melt the chocolate. Bring to a boil, then then add the raw ground turkey, crumbling and forming small clumps as you drop it to the bubbling mixture. Stir to mix the turkey in well, bring it back to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Continue cooking at a low simmer for about 35 minutes until the chili is nice and thick, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large tomato chunks with the back of the spoon. Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the salt, if needed.

Eat it as is, or even better, top it with some shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, avocado and creme fraiche or sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe ©2011 Betsy Burts. All reproduction rights reserved.