Chicken Posole Verde

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken, rotisserie works great
• 2 cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice of one lime

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a 4-quart saucepan, then pour in the chicken broth so it is covered. Set the pan over high heat and bring the broth to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and cook at a gentle simmer until the chicken reaches 160°F, 10 to 12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, move the chicken to a cutting board, and leave the broth in the saucepan.
2. While the chicken cooks, arrange an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler and set the broiler to high.
3. Spread the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, jalapeño, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet, then coat them with the oil. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, turn everything over, and continue broiling until the vegetables are browned in spots and the tomatillos have softened, another 5 to 6 minutes. Let them sit until they are cool enough to work with.
4. Once the vegetables can be handled, remove the skins from the onion and garlic, peel and seed the poblanos, and take the seeds out of the jalapeño. Put them in a food processor with the tomatillos and the juices from the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses. For a silkier sauce, process it longer. Scrape the mixture into the saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
5. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken, hominy, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt into the saucepan. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. If you want it looser, thin it with the reserved broth or water, then add salt to taste. Serve with chopped cilantro and any of the other garnishes you like.