Chicken posole

Terese and Dionisio Esperas
A Healthy Kitchen, Sacramento

Posole is a thick, hearty Mexican soup typically made with slow-cooked pork. This version stars roasted chicken and goes from start to finish in about a half-hour.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 (15-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 (25-oz.) can hominy, drained
4 cups shredded, roasted chicken (see recipe)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings
1 cup chiffonade green cabbage
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped radish

Directions

In a soup pot, sauté onions in oil until translucent. Stir in garlic and sauté for 20 seconds. Add red pepper, chili powder and cumin. Stir in tomatoes and broth, and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Add hominy and chicken, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top each serving with cabbage, cheese, onion and radish.

Serves 8

Photo: Scott Monaco