I love to make soup. I don’t cook for a living any more, but I still think my dream job would be cooking at an all soup restaurant, where I’d get to develop the recipes and make soup every day. I’d be like The Soup Nazi, only way, way nicer.
A long time ago I had a version of that dream job. I was the day chef and baker for a small restaurant in West Seattle. It was a tiny little spot right across from the beach, just a short bike ride away from my apartment. I’d start every day by making scones, baking croissants, and deciding what soup to make. The owner of the restaurant was originally from Mexico, and sometimes he’d request posole.
Ah, posole! I loved making posole rojo. That beautiful combination of slow cooked pork, dried chiles and hominy in a rich and spicy broth. What a beautiful soup full of savory meat, warm heat from the chiles and the rich flavor of corn. It’s a soup that really needs to simmer on the stove for several hours and is well worth the effort – if you have the time.
But if your time in the kitchen is limited, like mine is lately, this Easy Chicken Posole recipe will substitute very nicely. You’ll get all (well, almost all) of the goodness of slow cooked pork posole, but your soup will be ready to enjoy in just about an hour.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs make a great substitute for the pork. (For the best flavor, buy pieces with some fat still attached to the meat.) And, pureeing some of the sautéd onions and hominy helps to intensify the soup’s flavor quickly.
If you decide to give this easy recipe a try, don’t forget to top the piping hot soup with traditional condiments – sliced radish, cabbage, fresh cilantro, onion, ripe avocado, and lime. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And, check out this video – best of The Soup Nazi!
Chicken Posole Rojo
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (with some fat remaining) cut into 1/2" pieces
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce (not the whole can, just one chile)
- 1 large white onion, cut into 1/2" dice
- 1 -29 oz. can Mexican style hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. Hot Mexican chili powder
- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 1 – 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Optional garnishes
- sliced radish, shredded cabbage, sliced red onion, avocado, and sour cream
Instructions
- InstructionsHeat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a wide bottomed soup pot over medium high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add 1/2 of the diced onion, the chipotle chile and 1 cup of the hominy. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and slightly brown.
- Place the sautéed onions, chipotle chile, hominy, and 1 cup chicken stock in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Over high heat, add the remaining oil to the pot.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is cooked through and slightly brown.
- Stir in the garlic, salt, Mexican chili powder, cumin, oregano, diced tomatoes, remaining hominy, 4 cups of chicken stock, and pureed onion and hominy mixture.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Serve with a garnish of sliced radish, shredded cabbage, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, ripe avocado and lime.
