It’s been quite the week here in Oregon… rain, sunshine, hail… all wrapped up in a span of a day. It’s been beautiful to watch and reminisce what Spring was like when I lived here 15 years ago.
With both Cinco de Mayo and “Taco Tuesday” falling on the same day, we decided to go the Mexican inspired route with dinner the other day, and I was introduced to the Chicken Posole Soup. A soup which had a special ingredient I hadn’t cooked with before… Hominy.
Hominy is a type of dried whole corn, thats specially treated with an alkali solution. The process turns the kernels into a puffy, soft and chewy texture that’s almost double in volume, and has a unique grainy flavor profile that’s very different than regular corn. Depending on how it’s ground, hominy is what’s traditionally used to make grits or masa flour for corn tortillas, and you can find it in most speciality grocers.
The soup is easy to make, light, yet comforting. Chicken cooked in a flavorful stock with onion, garlic, chillies, cumin, and oregano. The chicken is then shredded, simmered with hominy, and served with customizable fresh ingredients of thinly sliced radish, cabbage, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro. A final garnish of crushed corn tortilla chips for crunch, and a squeeze of lime seals the deal.
It certainly was a new chicken soup for my soul that day. I hope you give it a try.
Video and recipe below.
Chicken Posole Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large whole chicken
- 15 oz can white hominy some liquid reserved
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika optional
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic with olive oil until softened. Add the chicken and spices and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Once the chicken is slightly browned, top up with enough water to cover the chicken (at least 6 cups), and bring to a simmer. Remove all of the froth and extra oil that rises to the top.
- Simmer on medium-low heat for about 1 hour or more until very tender. Meanwhile, prep all the toppings and place them in small bowls to serve later.
- Remove chicken from the stock and shred it, discarding the bones and skin, then add it back to the stock.
- Add the hominy with some of the liquid it comes in, and cook covered for another 15-20 minutes.
- Serve the soup nice and hot with all the toppings on the side. Making it perfect for everyone to customize their own bowls.
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