Pozole

Need a little spice in your life?  (Who doesn’t?)

This spicy pozole soup should do the trick.

Pozole is the Spanish word for hominy. Hominy is a traditional ingredient in Mexican cooking. It’s use, in fact, dates back to the kitchens of the Aztecs when maize (or corn) was a sacred plant.

Today, pozole is cooked as either a soup or stew and is served as a special treat on celebratory days–Christmas, birthdays, Mexican Independence Day, etc.

If you are wondering how hominy differs from plain corn, hominy is prepared by treating dried field corn kernels in an alkali bath of lye or lime. This process is called nixtamalization. The treatment softens the corn removing its hull and germ. The remaining corn kernels swell. The resulting product is easier to grind and the grain of the corn sticks together when mixed with water making it possible to make masa for tortillas, tamales and other Hispanic foods. The alkali treatment also processes the niacin (vitamin B3) in the corn so that it is more digestible. In ancient times, the process also kept the corn from sprouting and allowed it to be stored for extended periods.

Pozole

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Ingredients

• 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans
• 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 C. chopped yellow onions
• 2 C. chopped seeded poblano peppers
• 3 large cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 T. ancho chile powder
• 2 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 6 C. vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 C. canned hominy (rinsed)
• 6 T. prepared tomatillo salsa
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1/4 t. salt
• Garnish of sliced radishes, parsley leaves, thinly-sliced cabbage, cherry tomatoes, sour cream or yogurt, paprika or cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and saute yellow onions and poblano peppers in hot oil until they are tender. This will take 4-5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and saute for 1 more minute being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir chili powders, oregano and cumin to the mixture and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the broth and the hominy to the pan and simmer over low heat for an hour or longer. (I found that my soup was better on the second day. As it is with so many soups, the flavors were stronger.)
3. When you are ready to serve the soup, stir in the salsa, lime juice and salt. Garnish the soup with sliced cabbage, sour cream or yogurt, radishes, cherry tomatoes, parsley or cilantro and a sprinkling of paprika (or cayenne). Enjoy.

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https://bluecayenne.com/pozole

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in the April 2019 issue of Eating Well Magazine. You can find the original recipe here.