Chicken and Green Chile Posole

 

Lets get this straight... I live in Southern California. It doesn't rain. Misting, drizzling, sprinkling, or dripping... maaayybe.I know, I know, people call it raining... but it's not. Of course I am currently looking out my window and it just started actually raining. I think I pissed mother nature off. Oh well... works for me. I LOVE the rain. Which is possibly why I am eventually moving to Seattle. Ohhh I cant wait. SO in the spirit of the rain my dreams of moving to Seattle... I made soup. Glorious, delicious, spicy, soup. Its the perfect thing to eat while watching the rain mist.
Chicken and Green Chile Posole

Taken from Food Network
Yield: 4 Servings
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast (omit completely or use firm tofu for vegetarian option)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds if you are not a fan of the spice level; you can add another jalapeno if you want this spicier.)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 6-ounce cans green chilies, drained 
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 4 cups chicken broth (I like using the low sodium kind or vegetable broth of vegetarian option)
• 2 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained

Garnishes:

• avocado *
• radishes *
• white onion
• tortilla strips (broken up chips) *
• sour cream *
• cilantro *
• lime *
• hot sauce

* You can garnish this soup with anything you like, but these are the things I commonly see used. I like the items with an asterisk next to them

Cut the chicken into equal sized cubes. Season with 1/2 tsp of thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

 

   

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Dice the onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Add them to the pot and cook until they are soft, but not brown. Transfer them to a blender. Add the drained chilies, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp thyme. Puree the mixture until it is smooth.

Pour the blended mixture back into the same pot you cooked the onions in. Cook the mixture of medium heat, stirring frequently, until it is thick and a deep green (around 5 minutes).

  

Add the broth, drained hominy, and raw chicken to the pot. Cover and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked thoroughly (about 10 minutes).

Soup is ready!! Garnish with your favorite things...

Now go make a big bowl of this and enjoy the rain mist. :-)