Chicken Posole

When I went to look through my photos of food I’ve made recently I found myself sorting through lots of pasta dishes. I guess I was anticipating my trip to Italy through food! However, I also came across this chicken posole that caught my eye (and my taste buds!). It’s starting to finally feel like real summer down here in the south, which means my love for soups becomes a bit inconvenient. I try to keep from making thick stew-like soups but I just can’t say goodbye to them for a whole season, no matter how stifling it gets down here! This particular soup is a perfect compromise for a summer dinner that although is hot is also on the lighter side. It’s got a bit of a kick from the spices but with the avocado and radish toppings it helps tame down each bite. And who doesn’t love a soup where you can add corn tortilla chips?! You also can’t tell by the picture alone but there is also hominy in this soup (which I love to both eat and say) and it adds some depth to the soup as well as bit of saltiness. I’m writing this while hungry, which is not always the best thing to do, but I now find myself craving a bowl!

Here’s what you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Martha Stewart. Makes 2 dinner portions with lunch leftovers.)

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (~1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/6 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 24 ounces no-salt chicken broth (you might need a little more)
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (15 ounce) white hominy, drained
• salt and pepper
• Avocado, radishes and tortilla chips (all optional toppings)

Start by roasting your chicken breasts. I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts and they took about 20 minutes at 420 degrees. You can put a variety of spices on the chicken but I went for a toasted spice rub that my mom put together for me. It’s a combination of fennel seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin seeds and salt. If you need the meal to be even faster than it already is, you can also use prepared chicken breast or even turkey meat for a slight twist.

For the rest of the soup, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for about five minutes until they become translucent.  Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder and oregano.

Pour in the chicken broth and water, along with the hominy and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes to let all the flavors develop. The smells will remind you of a chili type soup but won’t be nearly as heavy.

After thirty minutes, your soup should be fragrant and drawing people into the kitchen and your chicken should be done. Shred the chicken and add it into the soup. Give everything one last big stir.

All that is left is to serve and enjoy! There are many topping options that you can go with when it comes to this chicken posole. We went with fresh avocado, thinly sliced radishes and corn tortilla chips. The cooling, creamy, crunchy effect!

The flavors of the soup can certainly stand on their own without toppings, but the toppings just add that extra something!

You can have this soup together in just over 30 minutes and maybe even faster if you don’t bother baking your own chicken first. Or better yet, you can make a chicken meal the night before and bake a few extra chicken breasts and have them ready to shred for this soup the next day. It’s also a soup that will store perfectly. So make extra for some lunches or store them in the freezer for an easy, already prepared meal! We’ve had some instances where we come home after a long trip at or after our normal dinner time and although we are so tired we still want a homemade meal after being away. That and we usually prefer it to be on the lighter side after eating out for a few days. I’m thinking that this would be a perfect solution waiting for us in the freezer when we return. It’s hardy enough to fill us up but then not so heavy that we’re up for hours afterward. That along with the fact that for some reason I just keep looking at the soup with toppings included and keep thinking “party in a bowl!” make this one of my favorite soups! Have a great friday! For now that’s chicken posole…in the shell of a nut!