Posole

 

This is simply the best chicken soup I have ever had. You know how it's difficult to get excited about soup? Sure, it's good, but unless you're under the weather, do you ever catch yourself craving chicken soup more than pizza, for example?

No.

But that's what happened to me this weekend. When given the choice between a couple of pieces of solid B-grade pizza and this soup, I wanted the soup.

What's so special about it? I had never eaten posole until Jeff took me to El Charro, a local Mexican grocery store, a week and a half ago. The place doubles as a restaurant, and on weekends they serve posole. We sat down with two you're-never-gonna-eat-all-this-sized bowls along with lime wedges, iceberg lettuce, chopped raw onion, and crispy corn tortillas. I was only mildly impressed until I actually tried it and was treated to an enormous flavor exposion that was comforting, slightly tangy, and quite simply the chickeniest thing I'd ever eaten. "I had no idea I wanted this, but this is exactly what I wanted," I grinned at Jeff, who is always happy when he can introduce me to something new. And I was mentally turning us into weekend El Charro regulars.

Until a few days ago when Jeff discovered a way that we could easily make vats of this soup at home. He found a recipe online, which we monkeyed around with a little until we had what I now consider to be the only chicken soup I will ever want to eat for the rest of my life.

It's ludicrously good, and here's how to make it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound tomatillos <-- or a 16-ounce jar of salsa verde (our brand pictured above)
• 8 to 9 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 4-5 pieces (or any other skinless chicken parts you like, on or off the bone)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 (30-ounce) can white hominy, drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro <--unless you hate it, and we hate it

DIRECTIONS

Discard husks and stems from the tomatillos. Cook whole tomatillos in boiling water 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Place tomatillos in a blender; process until smooth; set aside. Or just open a jar of tomatillo salsa.

Place stock and the next 5 ingredients (stock through hominy) in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from bones (or not, as the case may be); shred. Stir in pureed tomatillos and salt; cook for 5 minutes or until heated. Stir in chicken, and serve with cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges. We like to crush some tortilla chips into the soup before eating and you should do the same.

COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE EASIER, PEOPLE?

And a word about the chicken: it is fantastically tender. And the soup gets better on days 2, 3, 4, etc.

Comments

[Pam]

I just made this soup. It is delicious! Like a Mexican hot and sour.

[Mark Dirksen]

Hold on a sec - you hate cilantro? HATE?
I beseech you in the bowels of Christ: rethink. Retaste.

[Kelly]

This article kind of explains it. We both think cilantro tastes like soap.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

I can take it in tiny doses, like chopped up in a salsa or something, but just eating it as is voluntarily--yuck!

[Mark Dirksen]

I had no idea! Thanks for the link, and you are excused. (Wanders off to investigate Easter lamb marinade: mint, garlic, oil, lemon juice. No cilantro.)