Smoked Chicken Posole

I was smart (for once!) and froze the leftover smoked meat we had from our last big smoker event. But that doesn't mean the smoked meats don't call my name from the freezer, just begging to be used in a recipe.

I realize it isn't really soup weather, but I had the idea that this leftover smoked chicken would work really well in posole. And WOW! does it ever. Just replacing this for the pork in my usual recipe made a good soup into a great one. Between dinner last night and lunch today, we nearly finished the entire pot!

The real key to posole is cooking it long enough so the taste of the hominy is infused into the broth. The whole dish takes on an "enchilada" flavor that I really love, and this is not overly spicy, unless you want to make it that way. We like it just mildly spiced.



Smoked Chicken Posole 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic. minced
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (more if you want more heat)
1 pound smoked chicken, shredded
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
4 cups chicken stock
1 large can white hominy, undrained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
For garnish:
Sliced radishes
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cilantro
Fresh lime wedges

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add poblano and jalapeno peppers, and saute until tender. Add chicken, and sprinkle with ancho chile powder. Continue to stir until chicken and peppers are well coated with the chile powder. Add remaining ingredients (except for garnishes), and simmer over low heat 30-40 minutes until you can taste the hominy throughout the broth. Serve with any garnishes you like.