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