Chicken Posole Verde

Whether you have it rojo, blanco, or verde, what makes a posole a posole is the use of hominy. Hominy are dried corn kernels that have been treated with an alkaline solution. It can be ground for masa, or cooked and used in soup like we are doing today. Posole can be made rojo or verde, but for me, I always prefer the green version of dishes if I get the chance so that’s what I’m doing.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 12-15 Tomatillos, husk removed
• 3-4 Poblano peppers, cut in half
• 2 Serrano peppers, cut in half
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• vegetable oil
• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 7-8 bone-in chicken thighs)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 64 oz chicken stock
• 2 15 oz cans Hominy / Posole, rinsed
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toppings

• Pickled red onion
• Jalepeno peppers, sliced
• Crema
• Radish
• Cilantro
• Cotija
• Lime slices
• Pepitas

Directions

1. Turn the oven on broil at 500 degrees F.
2. Spread tomatillos, poblano and Serrano peppers on a large tin foil rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes until blackened and charred. Let cool 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the yellow onion and garlic cloves. Add them to a bowl.
4. Finely chop the roasted tomatillos, poblanos, and Serrano peppers and add them to the bowl.
5. Next, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.
6. Liberally season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add them to the dutch oven and brown on all sides. Set the browned chicken pieces on a plate and turn the heat to medium low.
7. Add the bowl of chopped vegetables, the ground spices and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Set the heat to low and cook for another 15-20 minutes until caramelized and cooked down.
8. Pour in the chicken stock and add in the browned chicken pieces. Bring the soup up to a simmer and let cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and shred the chicken.
9. Return the chicken to the soup and add in the hominy.
10. Taste it. Add salt and pepper as needed.
11. Serve in bowls and top with pickled red onion, sliced jalapeño, crema, radish, cilantro, cotija, fresh squeezed lime, or any other desired toppings.