Slow Cooker Chicken Posolé

This past Sunday, it rained…and it rained…and it rained…and then the wind blew sending a chill right through to my bones. It was the perfect day to come home from church to a warm bowl of Chicken Posolé.

Posolé is a Mexican soup that is traditionally made with pork, hominy, and chiles. Depending on the region of Mexico where it is served, different chiles are added which affect the color. My husband lived in Mexico for a few years, and this was one of his favorite dishes while he was there. Whenever we prepare a Mexican dish, it is held to a pretty high standard. And this red posolé, adapted from Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, received two thumbs up.

What I love about this recipe is how quickly it comes together and the wonderful aromatic smells that fill the house while it simmers in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Posolé

Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 15 oz can white hominy, rinsed and drained*
3 cups good quality chicken stock
2 lbs fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, or 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
3 scallions, both green and white parts, sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons light ancho chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Optional Toppings:
Chopped cilantro
Queso Fresco or Monterey Jack cheese
Radishes, shredded (using the large holes on your grater) or thinly sliced
Avocado, diced
Sour cream
Cabbage, shredded
Lime, cut into wedges
Warm tortillas or tortilla chips (we like to toast our own corn tortillas in the oven)

*Hominy is dried corn that has been soaked to remove the hull. Traditionally, it was prepared using lye, but most processors today use a lime solution to soak the corn. You’ll generally find it the international aisle or the canned vegetable aisle at your local grocer. Note that many brands add sulfites to preserve color, but sulfites can cause reactions in those sensitive to it (asthmatics are generally considered highest at risk). The FDA requires that foods containing sulfites must indicate it on their labels. One particular brand that indicates it does not contain sulfites is Juanita’s. I haven’t had much luck tracking down organic hominy yet, so if you happen to come across a brand that makes it please let me know.

Preparation:

Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours, or until chicken and carrots are cooked through and tender.  Once tender, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and pull the meat from the bones and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, and stir to combine.  Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with toppings.

You can extend the cooking time if you like by using frozen chicken. I used frozen chicken parts and cooked it on high for about 7 hours (the temp on my crockpot runs low – time to get a new one), but you could cook it on low and let it run 8 hours or more if needed. And no need to worry about the skins in that case – just remove the skin when you pull the chicken to shred it.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

-Jasmine

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