A Good Dish

making food simpler

Red Chicken Posole, Spicy Mexican Soup With Vegetables And Hominy (Posole), Makes A Delicious and Complete Meal

Prepared posole soup
Bowls by Hunter Saxton

Posole, a spicy Mexican soup made with the alkalinized corn of the same name (also known as hominy), is one of my favorite soups. It is flavorful, spicy to your preference, full of chewy corn and vegetables and can be garnished individually by each eater. Winter may be officially over but there will be plenty of chilly evenings when a bowl of posole will be a welcome meal. A friend told me her husband made a similar spicy Mexican chicken soup but with matzo balls this week. Please report in if you try a variation! 

I received the recently published Rancho Gordo book on Pozole (the Mexican spelling) as a holiday gift and have been trying out some of the many recipes. I prefer the chicken rather than the pork-based broth, which always seems too meaty and fatty for my taste, but some of you may love the richer version. The recipe I landed on is a combination of several of the chicken versions from the book and my old recipe (with cumin and oregano) plus a little whir of the stick blender to thicken the soup.

Toast seeded and stemmed (guajillo and ancho) chilies
briefly in a dry, hot pan
Soak toasted chilies before blending

You can buy prepared canned hominy/posole although it is truly better to cook the dried kernels yourself for both flavor and texture and to have the cooking liquid to add to your soup. But if you don’t have the time (you do have to soak and cook a few hours) or inclination, buy canned. Just make sure you rinse well to get rid of the salty packing liquid. This canned posole/hominy will be a bit softer and milder than if you cook it yourself but in such flavorful soup, you can get away with it. Some sources for dry, besides Rancho Gordo, are Los Chileros (organic) and Anson Mills (not nixtamalized) and for prepared, options include Goya, Natural Value (organic), La Preferida and Juanita’s. Order Rancho Gordo and Anson Mills online while the others are available in urban grocery or health food stores. 

Organic canned hominy is now available
Dried posole ready to soak and cook

To cook dry posole/hominy, first soak it overnight. Then cover with 1-2” of water or broth, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook 2-2 1/2 hours, partially covered. To add more flavor, cook with a chili pepper or two, some oregano and a few smashed cloves of garlic. Simmer until tender and blossomed (most kernels should “flower” when cooked) and add salt to taste. I think cooked posole kernels with butter and a little salt make a delicious side dish when you want a different starch for a change, comforting like buttered pasta.

Simmer soaked posole
with garlic, oregano and chilies

I posted a posole recipe the first year I started this blog. I think that recipe (made using leftover Thanksgiving turkey) still holds its own but the posole I have been making recently doesn’t use tomatoes or chili powder. Rather, it gets its flavor from toasted, soaked and puréed chili peppers. You can use boxed stock if you don’t have homemade or time to make stock but, as with the actual posole/hominy, homemade will be tastier and you’ll have cooked chicken to add to the soup. You could even use vegetable stock, leave out the chicken and add a wider variety of vegetables(think chayote, beans, even potatoes) if you wanted a vegetarian version. The amounts of seasonings are adjustable according to your preferences. Each eater can get creative here with which garnishes they choose to add. Put out bowls of chopped cilantro (since not everyone loves it), chopped or sliced avocado, chopped onions, thinly sliced raw cabbage or lettuce, oregano, sliced radishes, finely diced jalapeños or Serrano (more heat) peppers, cut fresh limes and tortilla chips to crumble in. Delicious, flavorful and fun!

Red Chicken Posole
Bowls by Hunter Saxton

RED (CHICKEN) POSOLE

  • 5 dried chilies, ancho, guajillo or a combination 
  • 6 large garlic cloves, 3 smashed, 3 minced
  • 2 TBs vegetable oil, preferably olive or avocado 
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped (poblano or jalapeño for mild, Serrano for spicy)
  • 1 TBs ground cumin
  • 1 TBs dry oregano
  • 5-6 cups prepared hominy/posole plus 2 cups cooking water
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tsps salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper 
  • 3 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Garnishes:

  • Big handful cilantro, stems and leaves chopped separately
  • Dried oregano
  • Finely sliced raw cabbage or lettuce 
  • Sliced radishes 
  • Unsalted tortilla chips
  • Chopped onion
  • Sliced or diced avocado 
  • Sliced or diced jalapeño 
  • Fresh lime wedges

Slice open dried chilies and remove stem, pith and seeds. 

Soak cleaned chilies in what water 10-15 minutes or until soft. 

Purée soaked chilies in blender with 3 cloves garlic, smashed, and about one cup soaking water, or however much needed to blend smoothly. Set aside. 

Heat oil and sauté chopped onion over medium heat until translucent. 

Add minced garlic and green chilies, cumin and oregano and sauté one minute longer. 

Add prepared hominy, cooking water(or plain if you used canned posole) and broth. 

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. 

Add salt, black pepper and vegetables (including cilantro stems) and cook 10 minutes longer. 

Add shredded chicken and continue cooking 5-10 minutes until simmering. Taste for salt and spiciness and adjust accordingly. 

Ladle into bowls and let everyone garnish their own posole.

Serves 8-12. Prepared soup will keep in the refrigerator 3-4 days and 2-3 months in the freezer.

 

I wish I could tell you more about the work of Hunter Saxton but I can’t find him, just his Instagram account. I bought these pieces a couple of years ago from Kansas City Urban Potters. If you find him, please let me know. These bowls/cups are a pleasure to use!

When You (Or Others)Are Stressed And In Need Of Clarity and Comfort, Try Cooking

Kitchari, tortilla, cornbread, baked beans (clockwise)
Melissa Weiss, Jen Allen, Wendy Goldsmith, Paul Eshelman

One of the things I love about cooking, beyond the edible results, is the ability the process has to get me out of my head. Like making art or exercise or a good conversation, preparing food takes planning, mental concentration and some physical exertion. So when I am worrying about an ailing parent or ill siblings or a struggling friend, I cook. I look through recipes, make lists, procure ingredients, measure, chop, grate and mix in order to prepare something for my family or friends to eat. The process requires focus to do well, thereby getting me off the worry wheel. 

Curried cabbage with cashews
Porcelain bowl by Jim Makins
Simple roasted potatoes
Bowl by Michael Connelly

Cooking not only relieves mental stress but gives me the satisfaction of a job well done while providing nourishment and, hopefully, pleasure to those I love. Soup is my go-to but sometimes a salad is needed, especially when people have been too busy to cook healthfully for themselves. The bean soup mix I posted a couple of months ago is a good example of a gift for someone with limited time and ability. But if someone is ill or mourning, bringing a prepared pot of soup or a big roast veggie platter or a long lasting salad, like carrot or fennel, is a better gift. When a new baby is born, I love to prepare a complete dinner (rice and beans, a batch of pesto, soup and cornbread, or roast chicken) because who can think about cooking with a newborn?

Miso soup
Lidded Jar by Gay Smith
Black beans and rice
Square bowl by Joe Pintz

Sometimes I make a frittata/tortilla when I feel frazzled and don’t know what else to cook. The chopping of the vegetables is soothing and the resulting meal is satisfying, not too heavy and can provide leftovers. Other comfort food favorites are kitchari, a simple pasta with peas or greens, curried cabbage with cashews, miso soup and lava bread. They are all easy, soothing and tasty, the winning triumvirate of stress cooking. And when even simple cooking is too much, there is always avocado toast!

Avocado toast on lava bread
Plate by Aysha Peltz

Give This Many Bean Soup Mix Along With The Recipe And It Will Be A Gift Each Time It Is Cooked

Multi-bean soup from a homemade mix
Soda fired porcelain mug
by Gay Smith

Seems impossible it is December already, doesn’t it? Somehow it snuck up and the end of year holidays are upon us. I like to make holiday presents, partly to avoid the craze of shopping and partly because it is fun coming up with ideas and gifting something different and useful. Some years have been better liked than others and the winners have included bath salts, granola, knitted dishcloths, lavender sachets and the “seasoned” fruitcakes I posted last month. One of the most widely appreciated gifts was a quart-sized Mason jar of mixed bean soup mix accompanied with cooking instructions.

Choose different colors and sizes of
beans, lentils and split peas
Bite-sized fresh vegetables
ready to add in

Getting bean soup to taste good without heaps of salt (to raise your blood pressure) can be a real struggle. One workaround is adding in dehydrated vegetables along with herbs and spices. Dried veggies like celery, onions, peppers and mushrooms are great flavor boosters (no chopping involved), keep for ages and boost the nutritional profile. Finding good quality dried vegetables can be challenging but I can recommend several reliable sources: Harmony House Foods, North Bay Trading and Frontier Coop. Another big flavor boost is a good bouillon, either a cube or a generous spoonful, salt-free or regular. You can package the flavorings in a little baggie with the bouillon and salt in their own bag. Curry powder is another option for flavor but everyone doesn’t love curry so if you include it, do so separately. Traditionally, flavor would come from a ham bone or hock, which you add while the beans are cooking, but I skip this as I am trying to avoid adding saturated fat and cholesterol. That said, a handful of chopped cooked ham or smoked turkey could be delicious addition. When I made this soup last week to check amounts, I used a whole cup of barley and it turned out more like a savory vegetable and bean stew. To serve it a second time, I thinned it with stock, added lots of fresh greens and had a different meal. 

This soup is like a stew when thick

You can really adjust the flavor profile of this soup to suit your taste. Almost any firm, non-slimy vegetable (no eggplant or zucchini) will work (think carrots, celery, turnips, celery root, butternut squash). Just wait to add them until the last 20 minutes of cooking so they don’t get mushy. A can of crushed tomatoes can also be added at that point. If you want to add green beans or leafy greens, do it at the very end so they stay bright. Use farro, sorghum or dried corn, if you don’t like or don’t want to use barley. I keep an empty jar handy in my kitchen to which I add small amounts of  uncooked beans and lentils each time I make a recipe that calls for beans. I don’t worry too much about the individuals amounts, just that the total equals 2 cups. This soup doesn’t have to be 8 bean types, it could be 2 or 12 and it will still taste good. For gifting, put the 2 smaller jars or baggies in the larger bean jar, attach a recipe card (or just photocopy the recipe below) and tie a ribbon around the neck. To make it a bigger present, place the jar in a new stockpot or accompany it with a good ladle, a wooden spoon, fresh potholders or a trivet. You can give a pot of soup for one meal or you can teach a friend to make a pot of soup….

A great wintertime gift!

MIXED BEAN SOUP MIX

For the soup mix:

Layer into a large glass jar 1/4 cup each  of 8 types for a total of 2 cups dried beans such as Pinto, Red, Navy Pea, Great Northern, Kidney, Cannellini, Black, Baby Lima,  Green or Yellow Split Peas, Brown, Green or Black Lentils, etc.

In a small jar or baggie:

  • 1 bouillon cube (or a heaping teaspoon bouillon powder)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • In another small jar or baggie:
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1/3 cup barley, pearled or hulled (optional but good balance)
  • 1/3 cup dried veggie flakes
  • 1/4 cup dried onions
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 2 tsps thyme
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed

Fresh ingredients:

  • Up to a quart of mixed chopped carrot, celery, mushroom, winter squash, turnip, celeriac, potato, sweet potato, green beans and/or cauliflower, optional
  • Up to a quart of chopped leafy greens, optional
  • Juice of half a fresh lemon (or a TBs vinegar) for finishing and a big handful of chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill for serving

Soup Instructions:

Rinse and pick over beans. Put into a stockpot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Drain. Alternately, soak overnight without boiling and then drain.

Add 10 cups of water or stock to the beans plus all the other ingredients except the salt and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally until tender and adding more liquid as necessary. 

Uncover, increase heat to medium, add salt and bouillon and chopped vegetables, if using, and simmer, stirring often, until soup thickens, about 20-25 minutes. Discard bay leaves and adjust if you think it needs more salt or pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon (or a splash of vinegar) and serve with chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill and a flavorful olive oil, hot sauce or cayenne. Grated Parmesan is also a tasty addition. 

Makes 10-12 cups.

A meal in a cup
Soda Fired Porcelain Mug by Gay Smith

 

Gay Smith is a thoughtful, articulate and skillful potter who makes generous, comfortable and sturdy (because they are so well crafted) pots. Her once fired porcelain pieces are full of animation and exuberance. Sometimes they feel like they are dancing. Gay’s work is available on Etsy as well Penland Gallery Shop and many juried shows.

Soda fired porcelain teapot by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Soda fired porcelain canister set by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Assortment of orange soda fired porcelain by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist

Listen to a recent interview with Gay by Ben Carter on his podcast Tales Of A Red Clay Rambler

Improving An Old Standby–Add Vegetables And Smoky Heat To Potato Leek Soup To Increase Flavor And Nutrition

Potato Leek Soup with cauliflower and arugula
Earthenware Mug by Ayumi Horie
Potato Leek Soup with cauliflower and arugula
Earthenware mug by Ayumi Horie – verso

We are all looking for comfort in these stressful, isolated times. To soothe ourselves, we can turn to nature for calm, exercise for stress relief, phone or zoom calls to connect with others, hobbies, books, movies or tv series, podcasts or brief socially distanced outdoor meetings. Cooking is another outlet for soothing. It is constructive and, depending on what you make, comforting, nutritious and economical.

Soup is one of the most comforting foods and one of the most comforting soups is potato leek. A bowl of potato leek soup is warm, savory, smooth and filling. But it can also be very white, starchy and bland, all part of the comfort factor. Is there a way to make it a bit more flavorful and a little less calorie dense? I believe there is a simple solution—add equal amounts of vegetables and some smoky chili powder.

Sauté leeks before adding potatoes

Potato leek is one of the easiest soups to make. All you do is sauté the leeks, add potatoes, seasoning and maybe some garlic, top off with broth, simmer and purée. But it can be much improved by adding equal amounts of cauliflower or broccoli, carrots and greens, even cabbage. I had some leftover celery leaves and parsley stems so I tossed those into the mix. You can use leftover cooked vegetables if you add them just long enough to warm through before blending smooth. Leeks are milder than onions but with a more delicate, greener flavor. The French make a cold version of potato leek called vichyssoise by adding plenty of cream, which I find too rich but you might enjoy. I used Yukon Gold potatoes which are less floury and more flavorful than white potatoes but white will work. Prior to serving, I stirred in just enough chipotle chili powder to add flavor and warmth without the substantial heat you would get from using more. If you want to fancy it up a bit, you can drizzle each bowl with some herb or chili oil or a little adobo sauce for another layer of flavor.

Add vegetables once potatoes have softened so they don’t overcook

This is a particularly fortifying soup for a cold day or night. Both the potatoes and the chili powder will help you feel warmer while providing comfort. We could all use a little more of both of those feelings as the pandemic continues and the days get colder and shorter. Please be safe and stay well!

Potato Leek Soup blended with broccoli and carrots
Earthenware cup by Ayumi Horie

POTATO LEEK SOUP WITH VEGETABLES

  • 2-3 TBs olive oil
  • 2 large leeks, chopped (If you don’t have leeks, you can get away with onions)
  • 4 cups of cut up potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
  • 4 cups of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, herbs, greens such as kale, arugula, watercress, spinach, etc.)
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 cups water (or more stock)
  • Salt or herb salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1 TBs chipotle in adobo sauce or 1/2 tsp cayenne plus 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot.

Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add potatoes, stock and water, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer.

Cook until potatoes are easily pierced.

Add broccoli, carrots, cauliflower or kale and cook until softened. Add fragile greens and herbs toward the end since they only take a minute to wilt.

Purée with an immersion blender if you like your soup smooth (or use a regular blender, taking care not to overfill and burn yourself-I speak from experience) or smash with a potato masher if you like your soup chunky.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and chili powder.

Serve with a sprinkle of chives or parsley and more chili powder or paprika.

 

Late Summer Corn Soup Is Even More Flavorful With An Easy To Make Corn Stock

Corn soup made with corn stock
Woodfired porcelain cup by Perry Haas

There are many great things about September, even this year, including ripe tomatoes, cooler temperatures and corn on the cob. It is still warm enough to buy and eat fresh corn but it can also be cool enough to eat corn soup. Fresh (and frozen) corn makes a wide range of delicious chowders and soups—there are seemingly endless versions out there. My current favorite is a southwestern style, dairy free purée made with tomatillos (yes, another use for them), onions, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro and corn based on the recipe in Fields of Greens cookbook by Annie Somerville. It is sweet and spicy, light but filling, so flavorful and easy to make. The secret to the deep corn flavor here, I think, is using corn stock rather than the more traditional chicken or vegetable stock.

Easy to make corn stock from corn cobs

How great is it to have a productive, tasty use for corncobs? After you cut off the kernels (or have eaten the corn on the cob), what do you usually do with the cobs? Throw them in the garbage or compost, right? Not anymore! Put those cobs in a stockpot with a few other vegetables and some water and you’ll have the base for any number of late summer or fall soups.

Corn is so sweet right now!

The ingredient amounts are variable and easy to substitute (poblano could work for jalapeño, green or orange tomatoes or scallions for onion, for example, and if you didn’t have any hot peppers, you could use tinned green chilies) and it is not critical to be precise. You can use uncooked or cooked cobs by themselves or add some aromatics to make your stock a little more complex. Put some of this stock in the freezer and you’ll have the taste of summer when you make corn soup in the middle of winter.

Flowered and waiting for harvest

CORN STOCK

Put in a large stockpot:

  • 6-8 corncobs, kernels removed
  • 9-10 cups of water

Add any or all or none and simmer 30-40 minutes:

  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • A handful of fresh parsley
  • 1-2 stalks of celery (or the leafy tops and base)
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5-10 black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
This corn soup is creamy without dairy

SOUTHWESTERN CORN SOUP (based on Field of Greens)

  • 2 TBS Olive, Avocado or Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 Medium to Large Onion, Peeled and Chopped
  • Kernels from 6 raw or cooked ears of corn (about 5 cups)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 4-5 cups corn stock (or more if you like your soup thinner)
  • 6-7 Tomatillos, husked, washed and chopped
  • 1-2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
  • Handful of cilantro, stems and fronds chopped separately
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt

Sauté onions in oil until translucent. Don’t brown.

Add corn kernels, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt and sauté 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

Add stock and simmer until corn is soft, about 10-12 minutes.

Add tomatillos and jalapeño(s) and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add cilantro stems, cayenne and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and simmer another 2-3 minutes.

Pour soup into blender (be careful of steam) and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in two batches. If you want some chunkiness to your soup, retain a cup or two of the cooked vegetables before you blend it and add them in afterwards.

Serve, garnished with cilantro fronds (or basil). If you want richer, add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.  Keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days. Reheat gently to avoid scorching. Serves 6.

Late summer flowers
Porcelain Tumbler by Perry Haas