Today is May 5th, otherwise known as Cinco de Mayo. I didn’t really think about it until we were in our back yard having lunch with our friend Chris, and he mentioned it. We were eating posole, which I just recently started making. It was festive and accidentally perfect!

Chris is front, left. Hubby is taking the picture.

I got the recipe through a friend on FaceBook; the recipe comes from Taste of Home. This is a very easy shortcut recipe, which is sometimes just what I need. You know, add a can of this and a can of that. For years now, I have strolled down the grocery aisles and stared longingly at the bag of dried corn to be used for posole (requires overnight soaking), along with the beautiful dark red dried peppers of all kinds (also require a hecka lotta work). And I ask myself if my kids will eat it, and the answer is surely NO. So do I want to go through all the work involved to make this soup from super-scratch? The answer is also surely NO.

Green Posole

So I was pretty excited when a friend posted this easy recipe. This version (it is a green posole, using green peppers instead of red ones) is still delicious, with a bit of spicy heat and lots of brothy goodness. And the husband loves it. The recipe calls for pork, but I wanted to make it with chicken. The recipe also calls for beef broth, but I opted for chicken broth. You can really just change it up to suit your tastes; I mean, if you are going to make a shortcut recipe, why suddenly be a purist? Chris said he liked it with lots of lemon or lime, so I recommend serving it with lemon or lime wedges and plenty of fresh cilantro (and any other accompaniments, such as thinly shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, avocado…), and tortilla chips on the side.

Chicken Posole

(Adapted from Land of Enchantment Posole)

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 large can (25 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained
• 2 small cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• fresh cilantro (for garnish)
• lemon or lime wedges (for garnish)

1. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a heavy dutch oven and saute the onion until translucent – just a few minutes.
2. Add cubed chicken and saute all sides until there is no more pink.
3. Add crushed garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add the chicken broth, hominy, chilies, salt, cumin, oregano and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for about an hour.
5. Serve with fresh cilantro and any other accompaniments you like. Makes 4 hearty servings. Enjoy!