Recipe: Chicken Posole Verde

Last week was so warm and sunny that I was convinced summer was here to stay in Seattle. I was wrong. Today is grey and cool and the forecast calls for grey skies and rain for at least the rest of the week. It's not just here in the Pacific Northwest. My friends in New England have been posting "Enough rain already!" memes on social media. So, last night I made Chicken Posole Verde, a hearty spicy soup that I'm looking forward to having for lunch for the rest of the week.

If you're new to hominy (like I was until yesterday), it is dried corn kernels that have been treated to a process known as nixtamalization (a mineral bath), which removes the hulls from the corn kernels. This caused the corn to double in size and has a unique chewy texture when cooked. It is low in fat and sugar, loaded with fiber, is naturally gluten-free and is a good source of Vitamin B.

Tips:
You can find canned hominy with other canned vegetables. As a substitute you can use corn kernels.

This soup is very filling. Whatever you think you'll eat for a serving, cut it in half.

In a ventilated kitchen, use gloves to cut and prepare peppers. I didn't have the windows open and the fumes from the peppers were so intense, the baby and I had to move to the deck for a moments as we aired the kitchen out.

Chicken Posole Verde

adapted from the Metropolitan Market 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb tomatillos, husks peeled and rinsed

1 yellow onion, cut into quarters

2 poblano chili peppers, stems and seeds removed, quartered

2 jalapeño peppers, halved, stems and seeds removed

3 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

32 ounces (1 carton) chicken broth

1 15 ounce can of hominy, drained and rinsed

2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken breast

3 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

optional garnishes: sliced avocado, creme fraiche/sour cream/plain Greek yogurt, tortilla chip strips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.

2. Combine tomatillos, onion, peppers and garlic with oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat and spread ingredients out onto a foil lined sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove when done and set aside to cool. 

3. When cooled (15 minutes),  peel away and discard any charred pepper skins. Add vegetables to food processor along with 1 cup of chicken broth. Puree until smooth. 

4. In a large pot, add the pureed vegetables along with the rest of the chicken broth, rinsed hominy and shredded chicken. Cover, simmer on low-medium for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper (to taste) along with cilantro. 

5. Serve and garnish with toppings.