I know what you’re thinking – “Bean free chili? Aren’t beans the main component of chili?”

Usually they are, but I found out during my experience with the anti-inflammatory diet that legumes such as beans and lentils cause a lot of digestive discomfort for me, so I’ve been trying to avoid them ever since. I was sad that this new diet change meant that I couldn’t eat one of my favorite cold weather comfort foods: a big bowl of hot chili.

Of course, one of my favorite things to do ever since I was diagnosed with Celiac is to take dishes that I can no longer eat and tweak them to work with my dietary restrictions while still tasting amazing. And that’s exactly what I did with this chili. No beans, no problem! This veggie-filled healthy recipe tastes just like the winter comfort food we all know and love without the unpleasant digestive side effects.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon of avocado oil
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (I used one red and one orange)
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped white mushrooms
• 1 pound of lean ground turkey
• 3 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
• 30 oz of chicken broth (I just refilled a tomato sauce can with broth to measure)
• 1/3 cup of black coffee
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

1. Heat a large soup pot on medium heat and add the avocado oil, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms. Saute until the veggies begin to soften.
2. Push the veggies off to the side of the pot so the ground turkey can cook in the middle. Make sure to break the turkey up into small pieces.
3. Once the turkey is cooked through, add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and coffee. Stir well so the liquids all blend together to form a flavorful base. Bring it to a boil and stir frequently to avoid burning.
4. Once the chili boils, turn off the heat and add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well, then taste test and add more cumin or chili powder for extra spice if needed.
5. Dish it up and garnish with sliced black olives, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, shredded cheese, and/or plain Greek yogurt.

This recipe creates about 6 servings, so I love making a big pot of it and freezing a few servings for easy re-heating on a lazy day. Perfect for hibernation season!