Lamb & Chickpea Chili
This spicy chili has a North African spin with lamb, cinnamon and harissa. If you can’t find harissa, use mild chili powder in its place. You can turn up the heat with a little cayenne or hot sauce if you like it spicy. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread and tabbouleh.
From EatingWell: January/February 2011
Yield: 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces ground lamb
- 8 ounces 93%-lean ground turkey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons harissa (see Note) or 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add lamb, turkey and salt and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and are beginning to break down, about 4 minutes more. Add chickpeas, harissa (or chili powder) and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Serve garnished with cilantro (or mint).
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Note: Harissa is a fiery Tunisian chile paste commonly used in North African cooking. Find it at specialty-food stores or online at mustaphas.com or amazon.com. Different brands of harissa vary in heat, so taste it and add accordingly.
Nutrition Per serving:
328 calories; 17 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 70 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 8 g fiber; 689 mg sodium; 589 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (108% daily value), Vitamin A (48% dv), Potassium (17% dv)
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat