Weeknight eats: Making pozole rojo with leftover rotisserie chicken

Got some leftover chicken in the fridge? Sounds like a good time to whip up some pozole.

Pozole, a soup/stew of Mexican origin, is a complex dish typically made with meat (chicken or pork are popular options) braised in a flavorful broth with chilis and hominy. As such, traditional pozole can take hours to prepare. But with the right recipe — and a few shortcuts — you can be enjoying pozole any night of the week.

Eager to try it out? Have a look at the below recipe courtesy of the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute and Nexstar’s WVIB.

Easy Pozole Rojo With Chicken

Yield: About 4 servings. Time: 40 mins 

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoons mild chili powder
• 2 cups water
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1½ cups shredded chicken (or pork, or beef)
• One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• One 15-ounce can hominy, drained
• 1 fresh lime
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• Tortillas, sliced radishes, diced onion or shredded cabbage for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Finely dice the onion, then add it to a large soup pot along with the cooking oil. Sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until it is tender and transparent. Add the flour and chili powder and continue to sauté for two minutes more. The mixture will be fairly dry, so stir continuously to prevent burning.
2. Add 2 cups water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt to the pot. Whisk the ingredients together until the tomato paste is dissolved. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, at which point it will begin to thicken.
3. Add the chicken broth, shredded meat, diced chiles, and hominy (drained). Stir to combine and then heat through (about 10 minutes).
4. Cut the lime into wedges and roughly chop the cilantro. Top each bowl with chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime to squeeze over top. Serve with additional garnishes, if desired.

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