Pozole Soup

In the midst of the winter a good soup recipe is always needed.  Tonight I whipped up a  simple soup.  Pozole is a precolumbian soup  that the Aztecs made highlighting hominy.  Hominy is a corn that is soaked in lye so make sure you rinse this product thoroughly.

1.5lbs chicken boneless  thighs cut in 8-10 pieces per thigh

2 cans hominy

1 large onion chopped

1 poblano or bell pepper chopped

1 carrot chopped

4 garlic cloves

1 can green El Pato tomato

1 tbsp of good quality chile powder or I use guajillo chile paste I concocted

2 Tbsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Mexican Oregano

Season salt or Goya to taste

2 Tbsp of Masa or cornmeal to thicken

3 cups chicken broth or water

1. Heat a tablespoon and a half of oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven.  Place chicken in dutch oven and brown on all sides.  Remove and set aside.
2. Place onion, pepper, and carrot in pot and saute 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Deglaze pan with can of El Pato and bring to simmer.
3. Add the two cans of rinsed hominy, and add three cups of chicken stock.  Bring to simmer and lower heat.
4. Cook for 30 minutes then add spices and masa.  Add your favorite hot sauce or a chipotle pepper if you want more heat especially if you used a bell pepper.
5. Cook another 15 minutes or until soup has thickened.
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some minced cilantro if you want.