Quick Posole

Posole is a traditional Mexican soup that's based on a tasty combination of hominy (corn), pork, and chilies. It can be made in a white, green, or red version. I happened to have some leftover pulled pork, and decided to put it together with some canned items from my panty - and Bueno! - it's a very quick and easy to put together posole.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped Anaheim chilies (or substitute 1 can green chilies)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tbs chili powder (mild to spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Chipotle chili pepper (optional)
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 (15 oz) can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup pulled pork

for the toppings:

1 lime, quartered
1 avocado, chopped or sliced
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sliced cabbage
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the peppers and continue to cook for another minute or so. Add the spices and cook for another minute, just until the spices begin to color. Add the enchilada sauce, chicken stock, and hominy and bring to a simmer. Add the pulled pork. Taste, and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, or more Chipotle chili pepper, if needed. Place the toppings on a serving plate. Dish up the soup and serve with the toppings alongside.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: You can adjust the spiciness of this recipe quite easily. Leave the seeds in the jalapeno if you like things very spicy. Remove both the seeds and veins of the jalapeno if you like dishes to be only mildly spicy. Omit the jalapeno altogether if you like your food to taste mild. Chili powder also comes anywhere from mild to spicy. Finally, you can also adjust the spiciness with the type of enchilada sauce that you use - it is available in mild, medium, and hot - so choose accordingly. Give the posole a taste, and add more spice if it suits your palate.