Chicken Posole or Pozole - Either way it's a GREAT Soup!!!!

Ok, which is it Chicken Posole or Pozole??? For me, it doesn't matter how it is spelled its all about the flavor. (But I do usually go with "Posole"!) If you're not familiar with it, Posole is a traditional Mexican soup or stew. In addition, it's a hearty savory soup made with hominy and a lot of great spices. This recipe uses canned hominy to make for a very quick dish that's packed with flavor.

Every bite of this Posole has so much flavor and leaves you coming back for more. We like to top the soup with our favorite garnishes. This time, we enjoyed it with cilantro and radish, mostly because that's what we had in the house. The Radish added a nice spice and crunch. It's also great with avocados and green onions. No matter what, my favorite topping is cilantro. If you don't like the flavor of cilantro substitute it with flat leaf parsley.

How to make Chicken Posole (Pozole)

The first step is to saute the chicken breast and slow roast it for a couple of hours. You could also skip this step if you had leftover cooked chicken or picked up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store (aren't they so delicious??). Mix together the spices (Cumin, Chicken Bouillon, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Salt and Chili Powder).

Take one or two tablespoons of the spice mix and rub it onto the chicken breast. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and pan sear the chicken breast. (You don't have to do this part if you're using leftover cooked or rotisserie chicken)

After the chicken is seared on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a casserole dish. Pour 1/2 Cup water into the saute pan to remove all the spices from the pan. Pour the water and spices over the chicken in the casserole dish. Because we cut the oil we use water to release all the spices, this is an easy way to cut calories and really boost the flavors. NOTE: Chicken Thighs could also be used for the Chicken Posole. We just like to use skinless chicken breast to save on calories.

Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake the chicken breast for 2 hours. Let the chicken cool then shred with a fork. The chicken will fall apart. If using leftover cooked chicken, or rotisserie chicken, just chop or shred it to get it ready for the soup.

Making the Soup/Stew

Saute the onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the remaining spices and saute for a minute or so to release the fragrance of the spices. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken (or cooked leftover/rotisserie chicken that has been shredded or chopped) bring back to a boil then simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add the Chilies and Hominy to the broth and chicken. Simmer the Chicken Posole for an additional 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!! Top Chicken Posole with your favorite condiment!

Chicken Posole

This Posole recipe is full of flavor and low in calories. It's easy to make and is great for leftovers or to take to work for lunch.

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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Posole, Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Roast the Chicken Breast: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Servings: Servings

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Belly Laugh Living

Ingredients

2 Pounds Chicken Breast
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Onion
2 Cans Hominy (15 1/2 Ounce Cans) Drained
8 ounces Green Chilies Canned or Roasted
32 Ounces Chicken Broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the spices. (Cumin, Chicken Bouillon, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Salt, Chili Powder)

2 Tablespoons Cumin, 1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon, 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
Coat each chicken breast with 1 Tablespoon of the spices (reserve the rest of the spice mix)

2 Pounds Chicken Breast
Put 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan. Sear the chicken over medium heat for a couple of minutes

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Flip the chicken over. Sear the chicken on the other side.
Place the chicken in a casserole dish.
Add 1/2 Cup of water to the saute pan and heat. This will remove all the spices that have stuck to the pan. (little trick to save on using a lot of oil)
Pour the water from the saute pan over the chicken in the casserole dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake the chicken for 2 hours. The chicken is going to fall apart.
Shred the chicken with a fork
Chop onion. In a large pot add 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil and the chopped onions. Saute onions for about 3 minutes.

1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Large Onion
Add the remaining spice mix to the onion. Continue to saute for about one minute.
Add the chicken broth and 2 Cups of water.

32 Ounces Chicken Broth
Add the shredded chicken to the broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 30 minutes
Drain the canned hominy and discard the liquid. Add the hominy and chillies to the soup. Simmer for 30 minutes to infuse all the spices into the hominy.

2 Cans Hominy, 8 ounces Green Chilies
Place Posole in bowls
Sprinkle your favorite topping on each bowl. We like cilantro, radishes, avocado or non-fat sour cream
Serve and enjoy with a beer!