Next time you’re craving Mexican food but don’t want a gut bomb, make Mexican turkey and bean bowls. Dressed with quick pickled corn and onions, avocado, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese, this dish packs a flavor and texture punch. You won’t miss the melted cheese and sour cream – trust me. There’s even kale in it, so it’s super healthy!
To round out the meal, serve the turkey and bean mixture atop a bed of quinoa or, if you’re adventurous, buckwheat groats, my new ingredient challenge for this month. You can eat these seeds as a gluten-free alternative to rice or other grains. While they’re a bit more gelatinous when cooked, buckwheat groats are a rich source of antioxidants and soluble fiber.
Recipe adapted from I Will Not Eat Oysters.
- 1½ cups canned or frozen and thawed corn
- ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1¼ pounds lean ground turkey
- 1½ tablespoons paprika
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you like your food)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
- ¾ cup chicken broth (plus more, for thinning)
- 2-3 handfuls kale, ribs removed and chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- finely grated zest of ½ lemon
- splash of lemon juice
- 4-6 cups cooked buckwheat groats or quinoa
- avocados, cubed
- cotija cheese, crumbled
- pico de gallo
- fresh cilantro
- Layer the corn and onion in a glass jar with a lid.
- In a small sauce pan, bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil. Pour over the corn and onion. Season with pepper. Seal jar and let sit for 20 minutes or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- In a large pot with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground turkey, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned.
- Add paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and tomato paste. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes until color deepens.
- Add beans and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the broth reduces by half.
- Add kale, stir, cover and cook until kale wilts, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of broth if the mixture looks dry.
- Remove from heat and add cilantro, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Place a cup or so of cooked buckwheat groats or quinoa into each bowl. Top with the turkey and bean mixture, pickled corn and onions, avocado, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and cilantro.
