Posole Verde…

RECIPES SPONSORED BY:
Posole Verde…

It is a cold January night and my fireplace is just heating up. There is just one more thing that could make this cozy night more perfect: soup. Cold weather is never a prerequisite for soup in my house–I could eat it just about anytime–but an evening like this just begs for it. The question now becomes which kind of soup to make… Chili? No, too heavy. Tortilla soup? Nope, too light. With my soup pot at the ready, I went in search for my “just right”. Surveying the inventory in the kitchen, the recently purchased tomatillos on my counter spoke to me; they whispered, “posole”.

Posole, the soupy Mexican stew, with its cilantro-infused tomatillo broth and chewy kernels of hominy, takes me back to our 2013 trip to New Mexico. Snow covered every surface of the ground in Santa Fe that winter and red and green sauces covered every surface of our plates. An important universal question there seemed to be focused on those sauces: were we Team Red or Team Green? The red sauce was chile-based and the green, crafted from tomatillos and cilantro. We found the two slathered over enchiladas, sopas, tamales, you name it–over eggs was my favorite. After many samples of them both, I was Team Green all the way. There was just something about that tart and tangy green sauce that I couldn’t get enough of; it tasted garden fresh despite being there in the dead of winter. My version of posole is the epitome of those flavors and the reason I can’t wait to get cooking.

Tomatillos, the key ingredient in this stew are not–despite their appearance–related to tomatoes. If you are unfamiliar with them, here’s a crash course:
• Tomatillos are a member of the gooseberry family.
• They grow encased in a sticky, papery husk that must be removed prior to eating.
• Running water will make quick work of removing the husk.
• A quick scrub afterwards with baking soda will take away the sticky residue.
• They can be used raw in salsas or cooked down to make a green sauce.

The colors of this soup may be a bit monotone, but the herby, acidic and slightly smoky flavors are anything but one note; this hearty soup is just what you want on a chilly winter night. Top with avocados, pickled jalapeños, and/or crushed tortilla chips for more flavor and texture; add cotija cheese for a creamy, salty pop.

Soup’s on and I’ve got an oversized mug filled with this satisfying soup; a bowl is just too fancy. Each bite is a different combination of tastes–those pickled jalapeños pack quite the puckery punch! After my husband and son have had their fill, I’ve got one serving of posole left for lunch another day. I can’t guarantee that this weather will stick around long enough for my second helping; even if it doesn’t, I can always crank the air down low, heat the fireplace up and pretend I’m back in snowy Santa Fe–hoping that our next cold snap here at home won’t be a year away.

POSOLE VERDE

Michelle Ferrer
This substantial, flavorful stew can be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 cup spanish onion diced
  • 2 large cloves Garlic minced
  • 10 large tomatillos paper husk removed, divided
  • 1 14 ounce can hominy drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups leftover rotisserie chicken chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
  • 2 cups vegetarian or chicken broth
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 avocado pitted, scooped from skin and sliced
  • 1 lime
  • crushed tortilla chips
  • pickled jalepenos
  • cotija cheese
MORE FOODIES READING  Cacio e Pepe Rice-Stuffed Kabocha Squash Recipe

Instructions
 

  • After removing the husks from the tomatillos, dice six of them. Put the remaining four tomatillos, roughly chopped, into a blender or food processor and purée. Set aside.
  • Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When pot is hot, add oil and wait 30 seconds. Add onions to pot, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and hominy and stir for 1 minute.
  • Add diced and pureed tomatillos, broth, pepper and remaining salt. Stir to combine. Allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and chicken, if using. Cook for an additional 10 minutes more to heat chicken through.
  • Serve with a healthy squeeze of lime and your choice of toppings: avocado, pickled jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, remaining cilantro, and/or cotija cheese.
Keyword Chicken Posole Verde, Chicken Posole Verde Soup Recipe, Chicken Posole Verde with Tomatillos & Jalapenos, Chicken Pozole Verde, Chicken Pozole Verde Soup Recipe, Chicken Pozole Verde with Tomatillos & Jalapenos, Easy Pozole Verde, Green Posole with Chicken Recipe, Green Pozole with Chicken Recipe, hominy, Mexican Chicken Posole Verde Recipe, Mexican Chicken Pozole Verde Recipe, posole verde, Posole Verde Recipe, Pozole Verde Recipe, St Petersburg Foodies, St Petersburg Foodies Recipes, tomatillos, Vegetarian, What are the ingredients in pozole?, What is green pozole?, What is pozole verde?
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

DISCLAIMER: Kevin, Lori, Abby, Haley, & Lindsey do not dine anonymously (this would be impossible) and we sometimes get free food (though never expected). However, we dine with the locals and we support our own. You will always get honesty in a respectful manner. We do not include any large national or regional chains in our ratings and reviews. We focus on independent locally owned eateries exclusively.

PLEASE NOTE: Reviews reflect a certain moment in time. Some restaurants stay extremely consistent over many years, and some change for the better or worse. Some things that may change are: chefs, recipes, food suppliers, ingredients, philosophies, ownership, etc. We always hope that you have the same good, or great experience we had.
RECIPES SPONSORED BY:



More Foodies News, Reviews & Recipes


Comments are closed

RECIPES SPONSORED BY:
St. Petersburg Foodies