Happy belated Cinco de Mayo. We celebrated last evening with Mr. C’s fabulous Margaritas and this delicious pozole. Since I am sure some of you are wondering “what the heck is pozole”, I’m going to provide you with a quick and fascinating explanation of its origin, etc.

From the benitosmexican.com site – “Pozole (pronounced po-so-le) means “hominy” and it is basically a cross between soup and stew. It is a popular and beloved dish throughout Mexico and is commonly enjoyed for events and special occasions, such as weddings, Independence Day, and Christmas. It is described as Mexican comfort food, because it warms you from the inside out.

Similar to many Mexican dishes, the name Pozole originates from Nahuatl and has a significant history. The main ingredient in Pozole is hominy, which is made from corn. Due to the belief that humans were made by the corn gods, in Mexican Aztec history corn was considered a sacred plant. Therefore, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples cooked Pozole only on special occasions.

Originally, Pozole was made from the human meat of prisoners whose hearts had been ripped out in ritual sacrifice. Thankfully, after the Spanish conquest in the 1500’s, cannibalism was banned and the meat in this dish was replaced with pork. While this little piece of dark history may be shocking, don’t let it scare you off!”

Well, there you go. Aren’t you glad you were interested enough to read about the history behind pozole. Moving on, let’s get to the real “meat” of what makes pozole a dish you might enjoy serving to your family.

Basically, it’s delicious. And it’s fairly easy to prepare. And it’s a one dish meal. (And yes, you can spell pozole with an “s” (posole) or a “z” (pozole). Either way is correct and universally accepted.)

Now I am aware that not everyone has dried hominy (pozole) just lying around. I sure didn’t until I discovered this delicious stew/soup/whatever! a few years ago. (For two other posole recipes on this site, see my Red (Rojo) Posole with Pork, and Posole (Hominy) Side Dish with Pork and Green Chile.

But next time you visit your local grocery store, with your mask and gloves firmly in place of course, pick up a bag. (I buy Los Chileros de Nuevo Mexico White Corn Posole at QFC.) Or go on line and place an order. Pozole is truly worth the effort.

So as promised, you now have another recipe for what to do with leftover turkey. And for all of you who might be concerned that this dish might be too spicy for you, not to worry. It is really pretty tame. And if you don’t have any leftover turkey lurking in your refrigerator or freezer, by all means cook up a bit of chicken and call it good!

To all – stay safe, stay sane, and keep cooking new and interesting food. If nothing else, preparing different recipes can help keep your boredom at bay. And what fun for your family to look forward to whatever adventure you have planned for them at the dinner table. Today a visit to Mexico, tomorrow perhaps Hungarian cuisine or East Indian. There is simply no end to the enticing choices available. Be creative, but above all – Have Fun! Salud  

½ c. dried white corn posole (hominy) or 2 (15-oz.) cans drained and rinsed hominy*

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ med. sized yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 T. Ancho chili powder

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled

small bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

1 (7 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can Hatch diced green chiles

2 T. tomato paste

1 qt. chicken broth (low sodium if possible)

1 c. water

2 c. bite sized pieces of cooked turkey or chicken

2 T. roughly chopped parsley or cilantro

¼ c. thinly sliced green onions

chunks of avocado

sour cream (Mexican style is best)

Place dried hominy in a non-reactive container and cover with water; soak overnight. Next day, boil posole in salted water for approximately 2-2½ hours or until tender. Drain. 

Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed covered pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and slowly cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the cumin, Ancho chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, bay leaf, black pepper, diced green chiles, Hatch chiles, tomato paste, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. 

Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, partially covered, for one hour. Add the hominy, cooked turkey pieces, and parsley. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with chopped parsley, green onions, avocado chunks, and sour cream as a topping.

*Use canned hominy if in a hurry, but taste and texture are just not as good as when you start with dried posole.