Doug's Posole Recipe

Posole or Pozole Verde Con Pollo by Chef Doug Pierce

Posole is a classic celebratory Mexican Soup/Stew. It is served at birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, or anytime your wanting some Mexican comfort food. The following recipe has some convenience and time savings built into it.

Typically Posole is made with pork, not chicken, but I use chicken because I like to use some of the chicken in other soups and the broth. More often than not, you would cook dried hominy in your broth instead of canned, but here we save some time using the canned hominy. You can take a further shortcut by using store-bought chicken broth, but I prefer the homemade chicken stock's richness.

Posole can be made with Blanco, Verde (using poblanos or Anaheim chiles), or Rojo (using dried red chiles). The result is a satisfying treat.

Ingredients:

• One whole chicken (3-5 pounds)

• One medium onion diced

• 3-4 Poblano chiles seeded and coarsely chopped

• 1 tsp Oregano

• 1 tsp Cumin

• 2- 25 oz cans of Hominy drained

Garnish Ingredients:

• Shredded cabbage

• Queso fresco

• Sliced radishes

• Guacamole or avocado

• Diced jalapeno (optional)

• A fresh squeeze of lime

• Toasted tortilla or cheese quesadilla for dipping

Instructions

For stock and shredded chicken:

Place the chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer with the lid until it is done in about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Remove the chicken to cool. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the carcass returning the bones to the stock. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 2 hours to achieve a rich chicken stock. Strain and let cool. I often shorten the cooking time by using a pressure cooker. This can be done well ahead of time and set in the refrigerator.

Then, saute the onion and poblanos in a little oil until translucent and begin to brown. Add the oregano and cumin and cook about 1 minute. Add about one cup of chicken broth.

Remove and puree in a blender and then return it to your soup pot. Add the hominy, about one quart of chicken stock, and about ½ of the pulled chicken. Bring to a simmer covered for about 45 minutes. Salt to taste.

The garnish for Posole is shredded cabbage, queso fresco, sliced radishes, and guacamole or avocado. (Diced jalapeno is optional) and a fresh squeeze of lime. Garnishes are set out for everyone to use as they wish- also served with a toasted tortilla or cheese quesadilla.

ENJOY!