mmmmm, Posole

My friend Whitney hosted what was probably the first dinner party among our group of friends, maybe 10 years ago, and served posole. It was so good that I tracked down the recipe from her years later when I was first starting to cook. I make this recipe regularly now. It is tasty, hearty and healthy.

You can generally find tomatillos year-round but they are best in summer and early autumn.

I like to add shredded chicken to the recipe so it's more of a meal. I always prepare shredded chicken the way Ina details in her recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup. It's so easy and the meat stays moist.

Posole with Garnishes
Martha Stewart’s Healthy Quick Cook

1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ t cumin
1 t kosher salt
1 16 ounce can golden hominy, drained
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 pound tomatillos, diced (about 3 cups)
2 bunches Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves

Garnishes
8 radishes, very thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, very thinly sliced
1 small avocado, cubed
8 scallions, very thinly sliced
2 T sour cream
2 limes, quarters
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
2. Add the cumin and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the hominy, jalapeno and tomatillos and cook, stirring, for one minute.
4. Add the Swiss chard, stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes (until chard is wilted and the leaves are tender).
6. Remove bay leaves and ladle into 4 bowls. Serve garnishes buffet style.


My friend Lynne also cooks a great posole-inspired stew, called Green Chili with Pork, from Gourmet magazine. I haven't gotten around to making it yet but I remember really enjoying it.


About Posole/Pozole (from wikipedia)
Pozole (from Spanish pozole, from Nahuati potzolli; variant spellings: posole, pozolé, pozolli) is a traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico and New Mexico. It is made from hominy, with pork (or other meat), chile, garbanzo beans and other seasonings and garnish, such as cabbage, lettuce, oregano, radish, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, etc. There are a number of variations on pozole, including blanco (white or clear), verde (green), rojo (red), de frijol (with beans), and elopozole (sweet corn, squash, and meat).