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The Best Healthy Turkey Kale Rice Bowl (Easy One-Pot Meal!)

A beautiful bowl of homemade, healthy Turkey Kale Rice Bowl being served for a delicious weeknight dinner.

A healthy and hearty one-pot meal, this Kale-Turkey Rice Bowl features lean ground turkey, kale, and potatoes in a vibrant cilantro-jalapeño sauce. The recipe starts by creating a fresh sauce in a blender with cilantro, jalapeño, and almonds. In a Dutch oven, ground turkey is browned with onions and cumin, then the sauce is added along with potatoes and kale. The mixture is simmered until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have melded, then served over a bed of cooked rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch cilantro, tough stems removed
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, halved (seeds removed for less heat)
  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 pound red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 (5-ounce) package chopped kale (about 6 cups packed)
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice

Instructions

  1. Reserve 3 tablespoons of cilantro for garnish. In a blender, puree the rest of the cilantro with 1/2 cup of water, the jalapeno, almonds, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until smooth.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for about 4 minutes until browned.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
  4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water, the pureed cilantro mixture, the potatoes, and the kale.
  5. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  7. Season with additional salt to taste.
  8. Serve the turkey and vegetable mixture over the cooked rice, topped with the reserved fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • This is a complete one-pot meal (excluding the pre-cooked rice), which makes for easy cleanup.
  • Using pre-cooked rice is a time-saving step for this weeknight-friendly recipe.
  • You can control the spice level of the dish by removing the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno before blending it into the sauce.