Winter soup recipe: Posole

I have always thought that winter was a great time to make new soups and stews. My mother loved her chicken noodle soup. She made the noodles with a big wooden board and a rolling pin. Sometimes we got to help. My favorite soups are Posole and Hot and Sour Soup. Both of these soups end up being a kind of “everything but the kitchen sink” variety of soup. Here is my version of posole.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cooked pork or chicken cut into bite sized cubes. (Pork shoulder is traditional, but don’t remove too much fat)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and diced
  • 2 carrots chopped in food processor
  • 4-6 tomatillos chopped in food processor
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • 2 cans (15oz.) white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans (optional)
  • 1 quart pork or chicken stock or more as needed
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 orange cut in half and juice squeezed into pot, then put halves into pot while cooking
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro (garnish)
  • Lime wedges (garnish)

* Can serve with chips and/or corn bread

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent
  2. Add garlic and spices, and cook another two minutes.
  3. Add meat and brown.
  4. Add green chilies, chopped carrots and tomatillos, tomatoes, and rinsed hominy. Add can black beans if you want beans.
  5. Cook another two minutes.
  6. Add stock and orange juice and halves.
  7. Salt to taste.
  8. Simmer covered for about 1 hour.
  9. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Pass the lime wedges around.

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