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Chicken Posole Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Secrets of the Southern Table" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"Although we often associate California and Texas with large Hispanic populations, the Southeast has a fast-growing Hispanic presence, with Alabama leading the way. According to the Pew Research Center, Alabama's Hispanic population grew 158 percent between 2000 and 2011�more than any other state. Latin markets have opened all across the South, selling everything from soccer jerseys to phone cards to hard-to-find spices and other ingredients. It's a bonus if there's a little restaurant attached, featuring dishes such as flavorful cow cheek tacos; tender, freshly made sopas topped with refried beans and cabbage; and hearty, homey soups like this one. Posole, also known as hominy, is corn that has been soaked in a lye solution so that the pericarp, or outside of the corn kernel, dissolves. Dry posole is available in Latin markets and online, but the more user-friendly canned version is widely available even in more traditional grocery stores. This hearty soup is rib-sticking comfort food�and gets even better a day or so after making it."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat low-sodium chicken broth
◦ 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
◦ � cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
◦ 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
◦ 1 sweet onion, thickly sliced
◦ 4 large cloves garlic, smashed
◦ 2 jalape�os, or to taste, seeded and sliced
◦ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
◦ 1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
◦ � cup chopped fresh cilantro
◦ Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦ 3 radishes, thinly sliced
◦ Green onions, chopped
◦ 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped, for serving
◦ Lime wedges, for serving
◦ Tortilla chips, for serving


Recipe

Place the stock and chicken in a medium pot. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat. When bubbles just start forming around the edge of the pot, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, occasionally skimming any foam from the surface with a spoon, until the chicken registers 160� F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. (If your pot is too broad and the stock level is too low to submerge the chicken, you may need to turn the chicken halfway through cooking so it cooks completely on both sides and all the way through.) Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and plumped, 3 to 5 minutes. (See Note, below.) Transfer the toasted seeds to a blender. Wipe the skillet clean and place over high heat until very hot�if you flick a droplet of water on the surface, it should dance quickly and then evaporate. Add the whole tomatillos and cook them on all sides, without moving them too much, until lightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes.

Scoot the tomatillos to one side of the skillet and add the onion. Cook until the onion slices are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and onion to the blender with the pumpkin seeds. Drop in the smashed garlic, jalape�os, and oregano. Add 1 cup of the stock that was used to cook the chicken. Pur�e until smooth, about 4 minutes.

Wipe the skillet clean once again and heat over medium heat. Add the pur�ed tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thick, reduced, and darker green, 10 to 12 minutes. (You'll be able to draw a spoon through the bottom of the pan and hold a trail.)

Add the reduced tomatillo mixture and hominy to the saucepan with the chicken and remaining stock; stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through, 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and top with radishes, green onions, and avocado. Serve lime wedges and tortilla chips on the side.

Serves 4 to 6



❧ Some markets carry toasted, salted pumpkin seeds in the dried fruit and nut section, in which case, there's no need to toast them again. Simply place them in the jar of the blender.