Chicken Posole Soup

I love to cook. It has to be one of my very favorite things to do, which means I clock some serious time at the grocery store. There are so many possibilities and endless varieties of tastes that go along with cooking and I think it's fun to see how different a recipe can be every time you make it.

Lately, i've been channeling my inner Ina Garten and trying out more challenging recipes. I often select ones based on their time commitment, ingredients, and if they have pretty pictures to complement them. I often don't follow the directions step by step or measure by measure. Instead I will adapt recipes based on what I already have and/or don't like, creating something of my own.

So with that, i'm starting out this food blog thing with an easy recipe that I make all too often (but never tire of) - Chicken Posole Soup because its January, its cold, and soup is the ultimate comfort food.

Like I said before, i'm all about adapting recipes. I found this Chicken Posole Soup a long time ago from Gimme Some Oven and have made it sooo many different ways, but below is my fav. Please note: eating fresh guac while making this recipe is a must. You can find that recipe below as well.

*Chopped onions & poblano pepper, shredded chicken, and garnishes- radishes, limes, and cilantro.*

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and poblano pepper (don't you love the sound when they hit that hot oil?) and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add your freshly minced or heaping spoon of garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Optional - I love boxed chicken stock, but since I make soup so often, it gets very expensive. Instead I use chicken bouillon cubes. One cube dissolved in one cup of boiling water is equivalent to one cup of chicken stock. For this recipe, I typically use 2 boxes of boxed stock and dissolve four bouillon cubes in boiling water, equalling out to be 6 cups of chicken stock. If you are going to go this route, start boiling your water and dissolving your cubes as you begin heating the olive oil.

Once the onions, garlic, and the poblano pepps have been nice and oiled up, add the secret ingredient, white wine, to deglaze the pan for an additional two minutes, stirring occasionally. I love using white wine for everything from soup to chicken because I think it adds a really nice flavor (and makes your kitchen smell freaking amaze). No need to get an expensive bottle. One in-between $5 and $10 will do and you only need about 1/2 cup (or just eyeball it).

Once your kitchen is filled with that lovely aroma, add the diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, 4 cups of chicken stock, hominy, shredded chicken, cumin, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt, and a generous (say it with me gennnnerous) amount of freshly ground black pepper. If you are opting in for the below secrecy, now is the time to also add dem chicken legs in. Stir to combine.

Optional - Another secret ingredient: If using chicken from a rotisserie chicken and have at least one hour to cook the soup, throw in the chicken legs (just the bone, no meat) to add more flavor. The longer the soup has to cook, the more flavor the bones will bring to the broth. Discard the bones once the soup is ready.

Cook the soup on medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer. Cook time can vary depending on your time. If you want to eat ASAP, cook the soup (with the top on) on medium-high heat for 20 minutes. If you have an hour or so and dinner is ready when you say its ready, then let the soup cook on medium-low heat (with the top on) for about an hour.

Note - If you've made the soup as i've instructed then you'll still have 2 cups of chicken stock left. Often i'll add a little extra after i've put all the ingredients in if I feel the soup is too thick. The rest i'll add in after everyone is finished eating to make a little extra soup for lunch the next day. This is totally optional and up to your preference. If you like your soup very soupy, then add in some more and call it a day, if not, save the stock for the next time.

Taste test the soup to make sure you're not missing anything. I always find I haven't put in enough garlic so i'll add in a dash of garlic powder. TBH I do this all the time because I just love garlic that much so if you don't like it, no need to add it.

Reduce heat to medium-low and serve. Top with radishes, avocado, cilantro, cheese, lime wedges, sour cream, and whatever else your little heart desires and enjoy (and save some for lunch)!

Chicken Posole Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

a pour of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan
1/4 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped (a little larger than diced)
1/4 large red onion, peeled and chopped (a little larger than diced)
1 large poblano pepper, cored and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced OR a heaping spoon of minced garlic (like you buy in the jar)
1 (4-ounce) can Old El Paso diced green chiles
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup of white wine (a cheap bottle in-between $5 and $10 will work)
1 (14-ounce) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cups cooked shredded chicken (You know those grocery store rotisserie chickens? One of those will come in handy here.)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Dash of chili pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
Garnishes: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, thinly-sliced radishes, lime wedges, sour cream

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and poblano pepper (don't you love the sound when they hit that hot oil?) and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add your freshly minced or heaping spoon of garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
Once the onions, garlic, and the poblano pepps have been nice and oiled up, add the secret ingredient, white wine, to deglaze the pan for an additional two minutes, stirring occasionally. I love using white wine for everything from soup to chicken because I think it adds a really nice flavor (and makes your kitchen smell freaking amaze). No need to get an expensive bottle. One in-between $5 and $10 will do and you only need about 1/2 cup (or just eyeball it).
Once your kitchen is filled with that lovely aroma, add the diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, 4 cups of chicken stock, hominy, shredded chicken, cumin, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt, and a generous (say it with me gennnnerous) amount of freshly ground black pepper. If you are opting in for the below secrecy, now is the time to also add dem chicken legs in. Stir to combine.
Cook the soup on medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer. Cook time can vary depending on your time. If you want to eat ASAP, cook the soup (with the top on) on medium-high heat for 20 minutes. If you have an hour or so and dinner is ready when you say its ready, then let the soup cook on medium-low heat (with the top on) for about an hour.
Taste test the soup to make sure you're not missing anything. I always find I haven't put in enough garlic so i'll add in a dash of garlic powder. TBH I do this all the time because I just love garlic that much so if you don't like it, no need to add it.
Reduce heat to medium-low and serve. Top with radishes, avocado, cilantro, cheese, lime wedges, sour cream, and whatever else your little heart desires and enjoy (and save some for lunch)!

This recipe was inspired by Gimme Some Oven.