My son and his family live in Ireland and recently visited us. Now, my seven-year old grandson, Calder, is—putting it as gently as possible—a very picky eater. To help expand his palate, one of my son’s friends recommended a book, “Every Night is Pizza Night”, the story of a girl named Pipo who believes the best food in the world is pizza. Do most kids think so? Calder certainly does.
In this delightful children’s book, Pipo decides to prove it is a scientific fact that pizza is the best food and visits all her neighbors to see what they are having for dinner. She discovers there is more to the culinary world than pizza and eats delicious recipes that “stun” her taste buds. One of those fascinating new foods is Green Pozole Soup.
Calder has been wanting to try this soup for some time. Since there are no fresh tomatillos in Ireland—they only have the canned version—Brian asked me to make Green Pozole Soup for Calder. As any grandmother would, I will make anything my grandchildren request. So thanks to a grandson who is hard to please and a book called “Every Night is Pizza Night” added to my repertoire of recipes is Green Pozole Soup.
Calder is a vegetarian, so I made a vegetarian version. Since we are omnivores in our house, I remade it using chicken. The recipe that follows includes chicken. To make a vegetarian or vegan version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and substitute one (7.9-ounce) can or one (12-ounce) package of frozen jackfruit for the shredded chicken. Whole Foods sells both canned and frozen jackfruit. Occasionally, they will carry fresh jackfruit.
My takeaway: the best food in the world is the food we share with those we love.
Green Pozole Soup
Serves 6
For the green sauce:
12 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 Hatch green chile, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks (optional)
3 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place tomatillos, poblano and Hatch chile peppers, green onions, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
For the soup:
2 to 2 ½ pounds chicken breasts, skins and bones on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, diced
4 teaspoons minced garlic
½ jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 cans (15.5-ounces) hominy
6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon large grind black pepper
In a large kettle, place enough water to cover chicken breasts by 3 inches and bring to a boil over a high heat. Cook until chicken breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken breasts and let cool.
Strain the broth left in the kettle through a fine sieve into another pot and reserve for the soup. When chicken breasts are cool, shred into bite-size pieces.
In the first kettle, place olive oil over a medium-high heat. When the oil sizzles, add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and continue sautéing for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and stir to combine.
Add chicken broth. If you do not have 6 cups of broth from boiling the soup, substitute with canned chicken broth. Add the green sauce and shredded chicken and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
For the garnish:
Sliced radishes
Sliced avocado
Sliced green onions
Diced jalapeño
Shredded cabbage
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Garnish with any of the above. Typically green pozole soup is garnished with sliced radishes, sliced avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.
Tips on selecting tomatillos: Choose firm, dry tomatillos that fit tightly into their husks. Check to be sure the husks are dry to the touch. Underneath the husk, a tomatillo should be green, which is an indication it is not totally ripe—its preferred state. Do not buy sticky or yellow tomatillos.
Tips on storing tomatillos: If kept in their husks, placed in a paper bag, and refrigerated, tomatillos will keep up to 1 month.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market and award-winning Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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